Missing Pieces
by ElleMZ
Summary: During the Curse, a school girl is missing in Storybrooke so Sheriff Humbert and Mayor Mills must find her. Fiona volunteers to help them while trying to keep her secret from Regina. Meanwhile, back in The Enchanted Forest, a young princess meets the 'bandit' Snow White. Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Just having some fictional fun with OUAT OC/Rose Red Story #2
1. Bumping Into The Past

**The Enchanted Forest**

"Fiona, honey, please don't stare. It's rude." Moira reminded her niece.

"Yes, ma'am." Fiona tried so hard not to stare at the people she saw outside the carriage, but it was so difficult not to be amazed at everyone around her. They're just like me! As her family's carriage made its way through the village she felt like it coming home for the first time.

Compared to the rest of her family, Fiona appeared to be so tiny and petite. That was to be expected as she was not truly an Isen, just an adopted daughter. In this kingdom, though, she was the norm and her family seemed like fair headed giants.

Her aunt Moira had taken her along with a couple of her cousins to visit the more prosperous kingdoms in the East as their clans needed ogres had been pressing against their borders for years and it was taking a toll on both their land and people. These supply runs were becoming more frequent and so it was decided that this trip Moira was going to try and establish trade routes to ease her burden.

Besides her own five sons, she was Fiona's guardian. Many days she seemed exhausted just from keeping up with her family, so the little girl tried her best to behave.

Michael, who was only a few years older than her, whispered in her ear. "Don't worry Fi, there will be plenty of chances for you to get to see the people up close. I heard there will be a festival in the town." This was his third trip so he already had some spots he wanted to show her.

The little girl's eyes lit up. "Really?" It was all so new to her, she was grateful her cousin was going to be her guide.

He nodded and pointed out their carriage window. "If you thought King George's land is wealthy, then you'll be amazed at this kingdom." Enjoying his position as the older one, he quizzed Fiona. "Do you remember who rules this land?"

The raven haired girl thought for a moment. "Queen Regina."

Overhearing the conversation, Moira commended her. "Very good Fiona."

The girl beamed at the praise for a few minutes before a question came up in her mind. Ever curious, she asked her aunt. "What is the Queen like?"

"I don't know, I've never met her yet. I've heard that she's quite skilled with negotiations, so I have to be in top form. King George's people put in a good word for us, so she'll see me tomorrow."

"Can I come?"

"No, this is strictly business. You'll remain with your cousins in town."

The girl was disappointed, she was hoping to see the Queen. They wasn't another female ruler in the kingdoms around here, the rest were simply spouses.

Her cousin patted her on the back to cheer her up. "Don't be too sad cousin. I heard she's a witch."

"Michael! Where on earth did you hear that nonsense?"

He answered. "I heard it from villagers and merchants."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Had they met the Queen?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Need I remind you young man, that you can't always believe what you hear. You have to find out for yourself who a person truly is." Getting back to the original topic, the woman told her niece, "If all goes well, we'll have a trade route between her kingdom and ours. It would supply us with enough ore that I wouldn't have to constantly do these trips."

Fiona's hazel eyes looked at her aunt and pleaded. "What? I really like this place." She was just getting old enough to travel, she didn't want to be stuck again at home.

Curious as to the reason, Moira asked, "What do you like about this place?"

"The people are really friendly here. Every place we've stopped I've gotten candy." She loved tasting the sweet treats in this part of the world. "The children here must always be happy."

Moira laughed at her niece's childish observation. "Honey, most children don't get showered with candy, even in this land. We're getting special treatment because we're guests." Besides the carriage they were riding in, their attire stood out from those around them. "We're a novelty to them."

"I know what that word means! We're different, unique."

Michael gently elbowed Fiona. "Don't make the rest of us look bad."

Moira was going to chide her son when the carriage bumped hard on the road. The jolt woke up Fiona's cousin Ewan. "What happened?"

Michael smirked at his older brother and had an idea. "You were just talking about how we're getting special treatment in the kingdoms here because we're novelties." Michael knew that Ewan hadn't been keeping up with his studies. "Do you know what that means?"

The muscular blond shrugged and repositioned himself so he could return to his nap. "No, I haven't a clue."

Seeing his opening, Michael teased. "It means different."

With his eyes still shut, he casually remarked. "Ah, like Fiona."

Fiona's face dropped.

"Ewan. Watch your tongue!" Moira knew her son had no malicious intentions with his comment, but it was still hurtful.

"What did I do?" He groggily asked. When he opened his eyes to protest, he saw his younger cousin holding back tears. "I'm sorry I didn't mean anything Fiona."

"It's fine." Putting on a brave face, the little girl pretended she was okay. "I have to get back to studying anyways." She opened her book and pretended to read. She couldn't help but think about how right her cousin was. As if her dark hair and small stature didn't make her stand out enough, her lack of brute physical strength usually meant she was left out in many games back home. She was highly competitive and quite clever with games, but winning seemed elusive for her.

She much rather preferred her martial arts training. As a member of the Isen clans she was expected to serve and protect and that meant getting lessons on horseback riding, archery, and sword fighting. Those solo ventures were outlets for her and as she had gotten older, she discovered she was quite good at them. Her instructors praised her skills with the bow and arrow and said she was a natural with riding. Horseback riding was her only opportunity where she could excel against the others.

Sword-fighting, though, proved to very difficult for her. While her size and finesse meant she could maneuver around the other kids, her sheer lack of strength and fortitude meant that she usually tired out quickly. When she was tired, she was sloppy. And when she was sloppy, she got whacked. Hard. The kids in her training classes teased her as one hit was usually enough to knock her to the ground (and end the match). Fiona hoped to one day be strong enough to fend off ogres when the time came, but if she couldn't even handle her clansmen, what chance did she have?

* * *

**Storybrooke**

Glancing at her watch, Fiona continued to sit at the bench outside waiting for the sheriff to get off his lunch break. The hazel eyed brunette had long stopped looking at that ridiculous clock tower above the library. Ever since the curse brought them over to this forsaken land and town, it never moved. Seeing it broken was a constant reminder that she was stuck here with practically everyone else in Storybrooke. Some days she dreamed of going to the tower and setting it on fire.

Fiona couldn't wait for the day when she could escape this place. She just wished she knew how.

_He's late._ She sighed and impatiently started tapping her feet. The police station was her last cleaning assignment and she was looking forward to getting an early start on having some fun this evening at The Rabbit Hole.

Thursday night meant joining the karaoke competition and she promised Ruby that she would accompany her in a duet. While she wasn't exactly eager and happy to be getting up on stage, the outgoing waitress promised her free drinks and dinner. Now that she was living on her own for the first time, Fiona was willing to sing for her supper. Her budget was certainly tighter than she was used to.

As she was about to head over to Granny's and grab a latte to push through the afternoon lull, Sheriff Humbert pulled his cruiser up, got out of the car, and asked Fiona. "Hey, where's Ashley?"

"She's at the doctor's for a baby check-up. I decided to help out so she could get some rest today. Please don't tell her boss." Fiona answered. Ashley was having trouble with paying the bills and Ruby couldn't cover for her. Fiona didn't want a doctor visit to get the hard working girl fired, so she volunteered to clean the station.

"Her secret is safe with me." The fair-haired sheriff could appreciate the gesture. "Come on inside to the pig sty." Graham commented as he unlocked the station's doors. He knew he had seen her around, but he couldn't place where. Seeing as she was athletically built, he was guessing she was one of the volunteer firefighters. Struggling to recall her name, he gave up and just asked, "I know I've seen you around. What's your name again?"

They shook hands. "Amelia Kyle, but I like to be called by my middle name, Fiona."

When everyone came over to this land, she noticed that everyone had been given new identities, including her. Unfortunately she did not get the memories everyone else picked up so she had to gather her story from talking to others. Unable to juggle everything, she changed her middle name in Storybrooke to her old name in The Enchanted Forest. It made things much easier and she was less like to slip up.

"Ah, Fiona. What a lovely name." It rang a bell. "So you're going to be Ruby's partner tonight? She seemed pretty excited when I saw her at breakfast. I hope you two win the competition. I heard the pot is about $300 tonight." While it was sweet that he was making small talk, it bothered her that Ruby had mentioned her to him. He was the sheriff and through town gossip, Fiona knew that he and the Mayor were an item.

She was scared of Mayor Mills finding out that the curse didn't completely work on her. Why the Evil Queen wanted to banish everyone here in this horrible little town was beyond her. She was never privy to the details; she was just 12 when the curse transported them. She heard whispers of course, but none of the adults wanted to worry their children so they spoke in hushed tones about the matter.

It hadn't dawned on her that she was afraid of a woman she only met a handful of times, mainly seeing her from a distance, always at crowded events like Miner's Day. She was grateful that her family lived away from downtown. Even though she recently moved in, she still tried to avoid places like the town hall.

Fiona started her cleaning assignment, beginning with the stalls in the back while he continued the chit-chat. "When I saw Ashley last week she looked like she'd have her little one any day now."

_Everyone has been saying that for the last 13 years. The baby is not coming._ Fiona thought. Part of her wondered how horrible it would be to be spending over a decade pregnant. That was one blessing of aging as she did in this cursed town. Her head just ached at thinking about how old she really was versus how old she actually was. By her estimates she was aging slowly, taking about two years to age one. It made adolescence a virtual hell, but at least she was finally out of it (or so she hoped).

However she kept those feelings and thoughts to herself and cheerily played along with the sheriff's comments. "Who knows, she may have the baby tonight!" She gave her best smile to keep up the ruse of being cursed like the others. She hated playing dumb, but she needed to do it to keep a low profile.

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

The Horseshoe Inn was to be the lodging for this portion of the trip. As the inn-keeper showed them their rooms, Fiona was impressed at how much nicer it was compared to the last place they stayed boys shared a massive bedroom and Fiona had a room with her aunt.

Settling in for the night, she made sure to lay out her clothes for the next day. Once the boys were settled down, her aunt came in to check on her.

"How are you doing Fi?" She kissed her on the forehead and sat on the bed to catch up with her. The older woman used these small windows of time in the evenings to talk with her niece. Ever since the tiny girl could speak, she always seemed to have something to say. Tonight was no different.

The little brunette's expression shift to a more serious one. "Do you think I'm from here? I look a lot like these people." She spoke softly, afraid that her question would insult her adoptive aunt. She loved her family with all of her heart, but a small piece of her was curious to learn about where she came from. All she knew about her birth parents was that they were killed by bandits. She didn't have their names and she had no idea exactly where they were from. She just wished could know something about them, but everyone had been tight-lipped.

She had no real answers to give the girl. "Perhaps my love." Moira felt sympathy for her petite niece. Moira had already went against her deceased sister's wishes by bringing the girl with her to this part of their land. Emyn never wanted Fiona to come to the kingdoms here, so much so that she cut off the nascent trade deal she made years ago. If things were so dire, the Isen woman would've stayed away from here, but she had no choice. Their people had to survive.

"Do you think any relatives are here?" She had secretly hoped that would've bumped into some long lost uncle or grandparent who would be able to answer her questions, but she knew the chances were slim. "Do you think they tried looking for my birth parents? Or for me?"

"Maybe. If we found them, would you like to stay with them?" As the girl was getting older, Moira was worried that she was becoming more and more isolated. While she didn't ever want her niece to leave them, she also wanted Fiona to be happy.

"No, I want to stay with my family. With you. I just wanted to know more about my birth parents. That's all."

Her niece's answer made her smile. Gazing at the raven haired girl, she answered her question as best she could. "Who knows, we may discover something here that will lead you to them." Kissing her forehead, Moira tucked her in for bed. "Have a good night."

* * *

**Storybrooke**

Sheriff Graham popped in time to time to chat with her about typical small talk as a way to keep her company and to pass the time. As she was wrapping up a couple of hours later, she gathered her supplies and walked over to the station's office area. "I gotta say being Sheriff looks like a pretty sweet job. All the power and no responsibilities." Even though they had just met that day, the two had developed a teasing rapport.

He had a sense of humor about watching over Storybrooke with its typically boring routine. She imagined that he must be bored out of his mind some days.

Picking up on her joke, he smirked. "Don't be fooled. Storybrooke keeps me plenty busy with all the adventures around here. Just last week I saved Pongo from getting hit by a car. Very dramatic, Archie was in tears, thanking me for my service. Perhaps you saw the story in the paper?" She laughed at the absurd thought. Dr. Hopper was not one to give himself over to big displays of emotion. Just thinking of her profusely thanking Graham while crying seemed hilarious.

Sad thing was a story like that would be on the front page of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror in a heartbeat. The Mayor would no doubt order that hack of a writer Sidney Glass to cover the story as a way to spin her accomplishments. Which Fiona thought was kind of ridiculous. No one ever ran against Regina during elections.

Just then the phone rung and Graham picked it up. "Sheriff's department. How can I help you?" His face changed instantly and Fiona knew that this was a serious matter. Being curious, she hung around to see what was going on. The voice on the other line talked excitedly for a couple of minutes. "Okay, I'll head over there as soon as possible. Let me call the Mayor first."

He hung up the phone and immediately picked it up again. This time he dialed out. "Mayor? We have a problem. A child is missing from a camping trip at the woods." Fiona felt terrible thinking about a child alone in the forest. She could hear a woman's voice on the other line, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Graham spoke again, "Sounds great Mayor. I'll see you there."

Remembering that Fiona was in the station, he addressed her. "Looks like duty calls.' He went to the coat hanger to grab his jacket and leave. She took her supplies and was going to head home. No need to interfere with the search. As she was leaving, Fiona saw her in the flesh - Snow White.

She was a bit stunned and watched the demurely dressed brunette walked past her without a second glance and rushed straight to Graham's office. "Sheriff, we lost one of our student in the woods." As she blurted out all the about the missing student to the law officer, Fiona recalled the first time she met up with the young woman. It was in the other realm a lifetime ago.

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

Morning came at the inn and all of the children were summoned downstairs. Aunt Moira spoke sternly. "I want all of you to be on your best behavior as I take care of business with the Queen today. Stay in town until I come back this evening. If I run late, make sure you're in bed here at the lodge. Break the rules and next trip you'll stay with your grandparents." All the children promised to obey.

It didn't long for Michael and Fiona to break away from the others and get some freedom. As she, Michael, and Ewan were exploring the town, her older cousin caught the eye of a young woman by the marketplace. Seeing their chance, Michael and Fiona offered to keep themselves entertained for a few hours and meet up with Ewan at the middle of the square by sundown. Without a second thought, the older boy agreed and the two ran off.

Michael clasped his hands, excited to be the one in charge. "First, things first. We have to go to the baker's shop here. These people have pastries and desserts made of the best fruits that I've ever." They started searching for one and within the hour found exactly the place he remembered. Drawing out the money bag with silver and copper coins. He counted out the exact amount needed. They were so distracted by the food, the two did not notice a man watching Michael put his money back inside his satchel. As they left to explore the rest of the town, he followed.

It was getting close to mid-day and Fiona was bored. They seemed to have visited every single toy cart and had caught the puppet show. She wanted to stay at the well just outside of town for a minute and rest. Oddly enough, the place was almost empty. Michael nudged her and whispered. "Get up quickly. We're being followed."

Fiona scanned the area and noticed that the same man with that ugly hat from this morning was indeed following them and she got nervous. As the stranger walked closer to them, the pair noticed that he was not alone. Four other men joined them, some of them armed with knives and some concealing what was in their hands. They were blocking the main path back to the village.

Terrified, Michael grabbed his cousin's arm. "Run Fiona!" With that, the two dashed into the woods right next to the well. Behind them they could hear the men laughing as they followed. "Stupid children! You've just made it easier for us to catch you." Since the bandits were bigger, their strides were helping them catch up.

As the children were running for their lives, Michael came up with a plan. "I have the money bag and that's what they're after Fiona, so if you hide while I run past this hill, maybe you can backtrack to the village and get Ewan to help."

Fiona wasn't having any of it. She would not abandon her cousin and leave him with the thieves. She snatched the money bag from him. "We both know that I'm a much faster runner. Go ahead and get Ewan." The bandits were getting closer and she started to get anxious as she heard Michael yelling. "Are you crazy?! Give me the money bag Fiona and run to safe-"

With that, Fiona heard his voice abruptly stopped and she looked back to see nothing but endless woods. No Michael, no bandits. Stopping in her tracks, she realized that she was in a completely different area than where she had been a few seconds ago. Disoriented, she didn't watch her next steps and fell down a hill, slamming her right knee onto a rock. The pain made her yelp out. Grabbing her leg, she checked her injured knee. Badly bruised and cut, it looked much worse than what it was. She noticed that someone was coming towards her.

Thinking it was the robbers, she got up quickly and took out the small sword she was allowed to carry on trips.

A woman appeared from the trees ahead of her. "Are you alright?"

Fiona tried to get into a defensive position. "Stay away robber! I can defend myself!" Putting pressure on her back leg caused her to wince in pain as her knee buckled with the shift in weight. She dropped her sword as she fell.

The kind looking woman smiled, "It's okay little one. I'm not a bandit. I want to help you." She extended her hand to help Fiona up. "My name is Snow White. What's your name?"


	2. Lost in The Woods

**Storybrooke**

Fiona couldn't help but be a bit stunned to see Snow White here in Storybrooke. Talking to Graham, not even three feet away from her. It was so strange and she tried not to look like a nut. Fortunately for her, they were still discussing the missing student and paid no attention to her. Pulling out a map of the wooded park from his drawer, Graham took in what the teacher had to say. "And you say you were by the cabins when you noticed she was missing?"

Mary Margaret, looked at the map and was completely confused. "This is my first time chaperoning the camping trip. Ummm…we were on the south side." Her voice was unsure.

"Mary Margaret I need you to be more specific." The sheriff was trying to figure out where they were so he could arrange a proper search party. It was already early afternoon and as it was September, they didn't have much time before it would get very cold and very dark.

Panicking, Ms Blanchard struggled with identifying the cabins.

As Fiona had stayed in those woods before, she knew that there were several sets of cabins in the area. Since time was of the essence, Fiona invited herself into the conversation and stepped up to the map. "Do you remember if the cabins had moss on the same side of the doors or if there were burnt out grill on the grounds?" Those were the two most used campsites as they had enough cabins grouped together to accommodate a class trip.

"Yes! We're staying at the moss covered cabins! We had just done roll call for lunch and Holly wasn't there. Everyone was searching for her and I drove here to make sure we had enough flashlights. I saw that your cruiser was still here so that's why I stopped in".

"It appears that most of the park phones were down, I just received the call a couple of minutes ago." Graham now looked at Fiona, "You know this area well?" he asked.

"Yes, I used to camp there plenty of times." She answered while still studying the map. It was a half-truth. When the Curse was enacted all those years ago and they were all transported to this land, Fiona was jarred by all the changes. It turned out that she was affected differently than the others. She remembered where she had just came from, but everyone acted as if she was someone else. Hurt and scared, she ran away to the nearby woods and found the cabins. She eventually returned to her adoptive family and slowly managed to adjust to their new personalities they had been cursed with. Growing up, she often ran away to those cabins to give herself some space. "I know the woods quite well."

"Good, we'll need all the help we can get." He responded. "Mary Margaret, we'll meet you at the campsite." Ms Blanchard acknowledged the plan and headed out of the station.

She didn't remember volunteering. The less she was seen around the town the better. "Wait, did you say 'we'? How did I get recruited in this mess?" asked Fiona.

He handed her a flashlight from the emergency box. "You wanted to see some policing."

"Not like this."

"A little girl is lost, can't you take a few hours out of your day to help out?"

His words made her feel guilty. Fiona knew how terrifying it was to be alone. The only reason she was hesitant was because she was being selfish and trying to remain under the Mayor's radar. Maybe I can hide in the background she hoped. "You're right, let's go." Since she knew that they shouldn't waste any time on the search, she gave up arguing and joined him as he headed to his vehicle.

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

Brushing off Snow's hand, Fiona got up by herself. "I'm Fiona and I know exactly who you are, bandit. I read the signs while in town. You're Snow White and you're wanted for treason." Even though she was scared to be in the presence of this infamous rebel, Fiona did her best to appear threatening.

Snow tried to keep a serious face so as not to embarrass the fearful girl and shot back a question at her. "Do you even know what treason means?" The girl looked to be be younger than ten, though Snow couldn't be sure what she age was. Fiona's hazel eyes were staring right at her. Snow respected the child's attempt to be appear brave.

"Of course, I do. Do you take me to be a fool?" Fiona rolled her eyes at the bandit's insult to her intelligence. "It means that you betrayed the crown. You have no loyalty to the Queen." She read books all the time so she knew she was right. This woman had certainly underestimated her.

Snow was impressed that Fiona knew what it meant. She also detected a slight accent, nothing Snow could use to get an idea of where this girl came from. "Well, Fiona you are quite the clever girl. However that doesn't change the fact that you are lost in the woods."

"I'm not lost." She said rather quickly. "My family is around. They will be here shortly so you best leave before they see you and turn you in."

"I'll take my chances." She wasn't about the leave the child by herself. "Perhaps I can help you find your family. Where are your parents?"

Fiona stood silent for a few moments. No one had asked about them for awhile as all those home knew they were dead. It hadn't been two years since they were murdered and her pain was still raw. "They're gone." She had no desire to share her grief with this criminal so she held in her tears. Fortunately Snow understood the anguish on her face all too well and changed the subject. "Where are you from?"

Since there appeared to be no one else that could aid her, Fiona decided to respond and hopefully get directions. " I'm from Isen, far West of this dreadful Forest."

Isen, so that explains the accent. When her father King Leopold was alive a few delegates came from that land to open up trade, but oddly nothing ever happened. However, the little girl was not what she imagined. She had been told that the people of Isen were very tall, fair haired, and usually a bit more solid than the people here. This little girl could've been a relative of Snow with her features. Perhaps the stories got twisted along the way.

"Did you come here alone?"

"Don't be ridiculous." The little girl scoffed. "I came with my family. My aunt is here on a business. We were staying in the town outside the Palace while my aunt went to meet the Queen. My cousin and I were exploring when we noticed that we were being followed. We were running from the bandits, no doubt friends of yours. We must have gotten separated."

"When did this happen?"

"Just a few minutes ago! Please tell me which way is the town. I must go and find my family. " She was getting irritated with Snow. How on earth had she avoided being caught by the Queen's guards? She seemed confused with Fiona was saying. Perhaps in this kingdom, the people weren't as well educated she mused.

Snow was a bit perplexed about the girl's time-line."That can't be true. The town you're speaking of is a few days from here if you travel by horse." She assumed that the girl was trying to protect herself. "If you don't want me to know where you're from that's fine, I under- "

Incensed at the accusation, she yelled. "I'm not a liar! I was just there. I was running with Michael and then.." Her mind raced as she tried to retraced her steps. Seeing the woods around her again and in more detail this time, she noticed that the trees were much more densely packed here than where she was less than 10 minutes ago. She remembered Michael was just behind her after she got the money bag. Then she recalled being dizzy and her vision getting blurry.

Scared at what just happened she sat down by a nearby rock, ignoring the woman standing by her. "I was with him, I swear. Things shifted…" she paused and gathered her thoughts.

Feeling sorry for the girl, Snow leaned down to her level. "It's okay little one. I'll take you back to your family. I promise." Bursting into tears, Fiona hugged Snow and sobbed. The woman rubbed the girl's back for comfort and held her as she got her tears out.

* * *

**Storybrooke**

Mayor Mills did not disappoint. By the time Graham and Fiona appeared at the campsite, there were a few dozen volunteers. All the other children that were on the trip were sent home.

Reviewing all present, Fiona recognized them as mainly concerned parents for which she was grateful. Even though this curse so far had caused memories to be clouded, she didn't want any of her teachers to ask why she was no longer in school and older than when they met her. It creeped her out that she was the only one aging and for now, the only one noticing it.

As she and Graham got out of the cruiser, she noticed several people looking at her, surprised that a civilian was riding with the sheriff. None more so than Mayor Mills who abruptly ended a conversation she was having with a concerned citizen. The confidient brunette walked over to the pair. "Sheriff, glad you came. Who's your guest I may ask?" Her fierce brown eyes remained on Fiona as she spoke. Feeling uncomfortable and hoping not to be recognized, Fiona looked down, but not before catching a smile on the Mayor. Apparently they were having a staring contest and Regina won.

Graham, ignoring the older woman's behavior, introduced her. "Mayor Mills, this is Fiona Kyle. She's kindly volunteered her expertise with the search. She knows the area quite well." The younger brunette gave him a small smile as a sign of gratitude for the kind words, even if she didn't quite believe she had expertise.

Looking the young woman over, Regina rolled her eyes. "An expert? She hardly looks old enough to be out of high school." She sneered. "Young lady, how old are you?" With her hands on her hips, it looked like Regina was scolding her like a parent.

Her pride wounded, Fiona's tone was defensive. "Old enough, Madam Mayor." She had difficulty keeping track of her age due to the curse. By the calender's time keeping she knew she was old enough to drink, but biologically she had no idea. Adolescence took forever in her mind (and body). Since she still appeared to be in her late teens, she tried to dress a bit older. It was something that Ruby teased her about several times, but that was a small price to pay as she could now move around town as an adult.

Realizing that continuing this conversation would serve no good, Regina ended it by moving towards the crowd. She motioned for everyone to gather around and she barked instructions, "People of Storybooke, we're going to have to band together quickly to find one of own - Chelsea Masterson. She's no doubt scared. Time is of the essence. Please pair up and report to Sheriff Graham to get your assignments and grab some flashlights. Report back as you complete your areas and get new ones."

Obeying her, people got together quickly, mainly family members and friends joined up and grabbing a photocopied map with an area or two that needed to be covered.

Except for her. She looked around and saw that there was nobody she knew personally besides Graham and he was busy handing out maps. She guessed Ruby was still at the diner helping Granny and Ashley was in no condition to help here. So she was alone. "Story of my life." She mumbled.

"I guess it's the two of us." Fiona turned around and saw Snow, wait…Mary Margaret speaking to her. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard." She said, offering her hand for a shake.

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

Michael could not figure out where Fiona was and worse, there was nothing he could do as he was still running from bandits. Catching a break, he noticed that a group of traveling traders were coming up the road. While he no idea of whether or not they'd come to his aid, he went ahead and took a chance. Running as fast he could, he yelled, "Help! Bandits!" Immediately the two men in the front of the small band came to him with their horses. "Are you alright boy?" The older one asked, he got off his horse to check on Michael.

"Father, there they are!" shouted the other man. He saw the bandits that were behind Michael, but when they realized these men had swords and horses, the criminals ran in the other direction.

"You're safe my boy." The father assured Michael, but the boy knew Fiona was still in danger. "My cousin is still in the woods! The bandits may find her, you have to help us!" He was ready to turn and head back to the woods himself, but his body had finally caught up with him and he needed to rest a bit.

"It's ok. We'll hurry into town to get some men to help. In the meantime, let's get you somewhere safe." Seeing as this was his only option with getting Fiona, he agreed and got on a horse with the father and headed towards town. As they rode in, the man asked a few questions, "What does your cousin look like? We'll need to give the men a description to know who to look for."

Thinking for a moment, Michael tried to give the most accurate description of Fiona he could think of. "She's a tiny thing, dark hair with really bright hazel eyes." He always liked the contrast of his cousin's hair and eyes. It was so unlike everyone else in their land. Pretty much everyone in their family had sandy to light brown hair and brown eyes. So boring in his opinion. Even though he knew she was adopted, he hardly thought about it as he had been with her pretty much since she was born. Thanks to her he was no longer the baby in the family, which he had hated.

Anticipating his cousin's typical response to strangers, he warned, "She has a mouth on her so watch out and please don't take offense. She'll probably be hiding so you have to be clever and look everywhere. She's the smartest girl I know." Actually she was the smartest kid he knew. What the rest of the family didn't realize was that she was reading Michael's school books and could do a lot of the math problems in there by herself. She had been doing his math work for him in exchange for his share of candy, but he kept that fact to himself.

* * *

**Storybrooke**

Regina and Graham were further ahead in their search area as the Sheriff was an excellent tracker. "Well Madame Mayor looks like we can check off this patch in the map. I guess the next section starts right by that fallen tree ahead of us." He was tired and a bit frustrated. This little girl was nowhere to be found and he worried that they wouldn't get to her tonight.

Sensing his distress, Regina placed her hand on his shoulder and reassured him. "We'll find her. Why don't we had back and replenish on our coffee? I can stay out here for a few more hours." Shaking his thermos and noticing it was empty, he agreed and the two backtracked to camp. "Who knows? Your 'expert' may have already found her by the time we get back." She half-heartedly joked.

She was trying to lighten the mood, but a part of her was curious about this new woman. She usually had a good idea of who was where at all times, but this young lady seemed to have drifted out of nowhere.

While there were simply too many people to track all the time, she made it her priority to keep closer tabs to those who were downtown. She had Sidney Glass dig around to get more information. Up until now, she seemed nosy reporter informed her that Fiona had a huge fight with her aunt and moved out. As an attempt to get away from her family, she stayed around downtown, staying at Granny's.

Graham shook his head and chuckled. He was wondering when Regina was going to bring Fiona up. "Ok, I may have fudged a bit with her qualifications, but she does know the area Regina. She was able to break down this area into segments on our way up here. Besides, we could use all the help we can get."

While he and Regina had been seeing each other for as long as he remembered, he didn't understand why she didn't trust him by now. It was a bit ridiculous. Addressing her real concern, he commented, "She's just a kid."

He stopped and faced Regina, rubbed her arm to make sure he had her complete attention. "I'm with you, always and forever. There's no need to worry."

Regina smiled at his pledge. "I know Graham. I'm overreacting. I'll let her be."

Embarrassed by her jealous behavior she changed subjects. "Since we have a few minutes before we get back to the group, I wanted to talk to you about the station. Have you thought about getting an assistant to help you out with the paperwork at the office?"

"Well, if I get any full time help, I'd like to have a deputy."

"A deputy?" She was very particular about giving out any amount of authority. "Did you have anyone in mind?"

"No, not yet."

"Oh, in that case, I have a list of candidates who I know would fit in well."

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

It felt like they had been walking forever. Fiona was trying not to complain, but the pain was getting worse. "Are we almost there?"

"Yes, we should be there in time for supper." She hoped that would lift the girl's spirits. Fiona nodded and continued at her pace, but Snow noticed that she was having a difficult time walking. "Do you want to take a break and rest?"

"I'm not tired. I can handle it." She didn't want this bandit to think she was fragile.

Protecting the girl's pride, Snow feigned fatigue. "I'm sure you can make it, but I'm actually exhausted and wanted to relax for just a few minutes."

"Oh." Fiona took a seat on a log nearby. "If you need to stop for a bit, I'll join you."

"Thank you for understanding." Snow watched the little girl,for some reason her mannerisms and facial expressions reminded her of someone else, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She tried to solve the case of deja vu by getting a closer look at the child's clothes. She certainly wasn't from The Enchanted Forest. The girl was wearing an outfit that from a distance looked practical and common, but up close had the detailing and quality of some of the finest fabrics. She wore brown leather pants with chocolate covered boots that went to up to her shins. Her top was layered - a creamy shirt under a pomegranate vest.

"It isn't polite to stare." Fiona tilted her head to the side.

Embarrassed at being caught, Snow apologized. "I'm sorry. I was just admiring your outfit. In this land, most girls wear dresses."

Taking the woman's curiosity as an invitation to educate, Fiona opened up. "I have dresses too, but that's for important events and for visitors. Where I'm from, we tend to dress more sensible day to day. Nobles may have more supervisory responsibilities, but we are expected to work just like the rest."

"That makes a lot of sense." Now that she lived outside the palace walls Snow could appreciate the importance of function with her clothing. A princess couldn't survive on the run wearing a gown. She smiled at the girl. "So you're a princess?"

Fiona rolled her eyes. "By title, but no one calls me that. We don't have kings and queens in out land, decisions affecting our kingdom are made by a council of seven." It felt so odd to think of herself as a princess. "When I take my mother's place on the council, then I'll be addressed as Lady of the Shield."

"That sounds important."

Just thinking about all the responsibilities included with the title made Fiona feel overwhelmed. "It is." She sighed.

"You don't sound excited."

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't matter if I'm excited or not, it's what I'm born to do." Tired of the conversation she got up. "Let's get to the village."


	3. Family

**Storybrooke**

Mary-Margaret and Fiona were taking apart the woods up leaf by leaf it seemed. As they walked the two chatted to pass the time and avoid any awkward silences. Starting with pleasantries and basic gossip, the duo slowly moving on to more personal topics. Mary Margaret was surprised at how easy it was to talk with Fiona, as if they were simply friends catching up after a few years apart.

"I can't believe we hadn't already met." Mary Margaret wondered out loud. Both she and Fiona were friends with Ruby and Ashley and yet until today, she hadn't remember meeting the younger woman.

"Until recently, I've stayed with my aunt at the vineyards towards the edge of town, the one not far from the stables." She explained while rubbing her sore neck. "I met Ruby a few weeks ago when I stayed at Granny's for a night and then I met Ashley while I was getting my laundry done." She had actually met Ruby the first day she got in town. She was at the diner drinking a cinnamon latte looking at the classified for some jobs. Being Ruby, the extroverted brunette not only served her breakfast, but managed to give Fiona advice on practically every job listing in the paper - which bosses were cheap with pay and which jobs were absolutely boring.

"You probably hadn't seen me because I've been really busy with my bookkeeping work."

"Oh, you don't work with Ashley?" Mary Margaret felt foolish for making such an assumption.

"No, I was just trying to help her out. With the baby and all."

"That's very sweet of you."

Fiona shrugged at the compliment. "Ruby helped me pick up some work helping out Archie, Marcho, and some of the other small businesses downtown with their finances."

"So business is good?"

"It's alright. I can pay my bills, but I don't think I'll get rich doing it." With the town being isolated, there wasn't much room for growth. She was currently renting the smallest room at Granny's. "But the good thing about it is the flexible schedule. As long as I get it done each week, everyone is fine. So that's how I was able to cover for Ashley at the station."

Even though she only met Ashley in person in the last few weeks, Fiona had known about her for awhile. Her aunt kept up with town gossip and kept complaining about that poor baby being raised by a child herself. Fiona hated who her aunt became once the curse started. Before her aunt was a tough, but sweet woman. She and Fiona certainly butted heads, but it was always done with the understanding that they loved one another.

Now the two fought, but it usually got ugly and they both used words to cut each other down. Frustrated that their relationship was not getting any better, Fiona left. She hadn't spoken to her since she moved.

Thinking back to the conversation with Mary Margaret, Fiona tried to keep things positive. "At least we did get to meet today."

The good-natured teacher gave her a smile. "I'm happy we did."

"Me too."

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

As promised, Snow and Fiona got to a village less than an hour later. Instead of arresting Snow, the girl was surprised to see many of the people sympathetic to their plight. A kind widow named Riley opened up her modest home and town doctor came in to examine Fiona's knee.

The older man had the child do a few tests to see the extent of the damage.

Snow nervously watched on, hoping that the injury wasn't serious. "Is it bad?"

Letting out the sigh, the girl shook her had at the woman's question. "No, it's just a sprain."

The doctor laughed. "Little lady, you're absolutely right. Nothing is broken, but as you can see with the swelling on your knee, you'll need to rest. That means-"

She already knew the treatment for the injury. "Rest, keep it cool, and elevate it."

"Fiona! Please don't interrupt." Snow scolded.

The young noble frowned at being corrected by the bandit. Still, she realized that she had spoken out of turn and expressed her remorse. "My apologies sir. My papa is" she quickly corrected herself "was a doctor." Snow averted her eyes upon hearing the girl refer to her father in the past tense.

"That's alright." He smiled. "I have four children who are more than eager to take over my job as well."

"Thank you for helping me."

"It's been my pleasure. I never examined someone from your land."

"Really?"

"Yes, all I've heard was that your people were much bigger and sturdier than we are."

"That's about right." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I'm adopted."

"Ah, well, I hope you find get back to your family soon." Closing up his satchel, he looked at Snow. "Do you mind walking me out?" The adults left the room and Fiona sat alone in bed, thinking about what to do next.

She was injured in a strange land with a criminal as her caregiver and protector. Though if she was honest with herself she had to admit that this bandit Snow was the nicest criminal she met. After comforting her back in the woods, she helped Fiona get into town, found a pleasant place for them to stay in, and she paid the doctor to attend to her.

Finally the kind-hearted bandit came back to the room. "He thinks it would be best if you laid off walking for the next few days." Fiona was about to protest, but Snow already had a solution. "The miller is scheduled to deliver to the town your family is staying at and he's leaving tomorrow night. We can hitch a ride with him. "

That solved one problem, but there was still Michael. "What about my cousin? He needs help." She complained. "I must leave at once to find him." She got up to try and move but Snow gently pushed her back in her bed. "No doubt he will be fine. You said he was a clever boy and you two were by town so he probably got back in and got help."

That reasoning made sense to Fiona and she was tired from the day. "Okay, I hope you're right." She turned her attention to another concern on her mind. "Let's talk about the matter of the doctor. How is he being paid?"

"I paid him, why do you ask?" Snow asked.

Furrowing her brows, the girl took on a serious tone, as if she were interrogating her. "Are you using your stolen goods as a bandit to pay him?"

The former princess had to laugh. Fiona, though, didn't like it. "It's not funny. Paying for things with stolen goods is wrong. If I accept the doctor's and the widow's care, then I would be no better than you, I'd be a bandit. " She took out the money bag she had. "Here, use these funds. They are earned from honest work."

Snow couldn't believe she was being chastised and lectured by a kid. A smart one for sure, but still she felt that things needed to be made clear to the little one. "I certainly respect your honor, but I can assure you the money I used is mine. Contrary to what you may have heard or read, I'm innocent of those charges. It is a very long story, but the gist is that the Queen is seeking to kill me for no good reason."

"And why should I trust you?" Fiona challenged.

Snow smiled, "I think you already do. Why else would you allow me to take you here? And give me your money bag? If you truly thought I was a bad person why would you hand over your money just now?"

The little girl was stumped. Snow was right. In her heart, Fiona felt like she was a good person and could be trusted. It sort of bothered her that this stranger was able to convince her that there was more to her than she thought. Fiona could be stubborn with her opinion, but seeing Snow, she knew she had to trust her gut in this situation.

Enjoying her victory with winning over the young girl, Snow patted her on the shoulder. "Why don't you get some rest now and I'll bring up something to eat in a few minutes?"

* * *

**Storybrooke**

As the afternoon turned to evening, Mary Margaret and Fiona became less talkative, focusing their energy instead on the search. "Do you think we'll find the girl?" Fiona asked her partner.

"I think so. We just have to keep at it. " She assured while walking around. "While everyone looking, I have to believe that we'll get Chelsea home."

"How can you be so sure?"

She shrugged, "I guess I just do."

Fiona was about to tease her about her misplaced confidence, but something caught her foot and she tripped. She was even more embarrassed that it was just a pile of leaves. "I must be tired if I'm clumsy enough to fall over nothing."

However Mary Margaret noticed some red peeking through the brown pile. Fiona then noticed it too. Digging into it, they discovered a red book-bag. Quickly pulling up the tag to read the name, the women clearly saw "Chelsea" written in black permanent marker.

"This doesn't look good" The teacher commented.

"We need to tell Graham."

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

Checking to see if the little girl was awake, Snow tapped on the door.

Fiona called out. "Come in.

"I have some things you can eat." She passed on a plate with a mix of cabbage, potatoes, turnips, and carrots, hoping something would appeal to the foreign girl's appetite. Any doubts she had were erased as Fiona devoured everything. Snow wondered how such a tiny thing could eat so much so quickly and stay that small. "Glad you liked it."

"I would've liked some mutton along with it, but it was fine." She had assumed that the widow didn't have meat, so she was fine with the vegetables. "Thank you."

"Do you want me to get another plate?"

Fiona was starving, but she didn't want to take food out of another's mouth. "Only if there is enough for everyone else."

"I'll go see."

After a few minutes the older brunette returned. "It seems like it's you're lucky day." She presented an almost identical plate of vegetables, but this time there was a small piece of meat. Seeing Fiona eying it, Snow told her, "It's venison."

Fiona smacked her lips. "Delightful!"

Once again, the girl gobbled the food. "Slow down! No one is going to snatch your food." She laughed at the voracious appetite Fiona displayed.

"If you grew up with five older cousins, you'd know that it's the only way to eat."

"Five?" It sounded like chaos.

"Uh-huh. All boys."

Being an only child Snow could only guess at how dinner went at the girl's home.

"Snow, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

The question caught the former princess off guard. "Well, um….no. It's just me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy."

"It's not that." Snow clarified. "I did have a sister, but she died as a baby from a plague that had been going around." She teared up, thinking about how quickly the joy she felt from being a big sister had been crushed when Rose died.

Fiona felt so sad for her companion. "That's horrible." Unable to think anything more appropriate to say, she squeezed Snow's hand.

"Thank you, but it's okay. She's no longer suffering now." Putting on a brave face, she tried to keep the mood lighter. "How about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, it's just me, my cousins, and my aunt."

"Why don't you tell me about them?"


	4. Misspoken

**Storybrooke**

Regina looked around the remaining search volunteers and noticed a few particular ones missing. "Guess our local expert and teacher decided to call it a night." She snickered. Even though Snow had no memory of who she truly was, Regina hated seeing her cheerful face anywhere near her. Mary Margaret still had a bit of Snow peeking through and it drove the Mayor crazy sometimes. The only satisfaction she got seeing the mild mannered teacher was knowing that her true love was in a coma and that the two would never be together again. She knew it was petty, but that didn't make it any less a sweet victory. She had finally won.

"Graham!" Mary-Margaret and Fiona were running towards him, as soon as the elementary teacher saw Regina standing behind him she slowed down and because a bit more formal. "Sheriff, I think we found Chelsea's bag in the woods." Handing over the gently used red book bag to him, he brought it over to the table with a camping lamp besides him so he could get a closer look on the contents and the condition of the bag.

Regina stepped up besides him, not so subtly blocking the two other women. "Sheriff, do you have any idea where Chelsea could be?"

Graham nodding in the negative. "Everything is here, including her snacks. I don't see her wandering off without this." Things were looking worse."

Jumping in, Fiona speculated, "Maybe she wasn't lost after all. Maybe she was abducted." She couldn't think of another reason why the bag would just be there in the woods. She immediately regretted not checking the area around there for more clues instead of rushing back with the bag. Still, Graham was more experienced so she trusted his insights.

"Thank you Ms. Kyle for your 'insight'. If you don't mind though, I'd rather hear from a professional." With that sarcastic remark made, Regina looked back at Graham. He was processing Fiona's idea, but it was his job to consider everything so he didn't want to rush right in.

Some other volunteers got back from their search to report to the Sheriff. None had any more clues to offer. Most started going home. It was very late and almost all the coffee had been taken.

A couple then approached the Sheriff and the Mayor and the four quickly went to side and were speaking in hushed tones. Fiona took the opportunity to get back to the bag so she could examine it in better lighting. As with Graham's turn, nothing of significance could be found.

"What do you think you're doing Miss Kyle?!" The anger in Regina's voice was loud and clear. Fiona noticed that the sheriff and the couple were besides her and the Mayor and all eyes were on her.

She shrugged as she thought it was quite obvious what she was doing. "I was looking for clues as to who may have abducted her."

"Abducted?! I thought you said she was lost!" The woman yelled at the Mayor and Fiona could tell by her manner that she must have been Chelsea's mom, which made the anger man behind her the father. The frazzled and anxious parents looked at the three of them with contempt. "Why are you hiding this from us?" The distressed mother screamed.

Fiona took a step back, afraid of what the woman would do next. She didn't mean to upset her. Sheriff Graham played diplomat. "We are looking at every possibility. However it is too soon to know for sure. Miss Kyle -"

Regina finished for him. "Was just sharing her amateur opinion. Not facts. She's just an overeager volunteer and she has absolutely no experience as an officer of the law. As you can see she's bareky out of high school, so you should disregard what she has to say. Sheriff Humbert is more than capable of finding Chelsea."

Humiliated by Regina, she felt the fury build up in her. Fiona knew that getting offended would not help the situation, but that didn't stop her from lash out. "Do you have a better idea Mayor Mills?"

Regina's eyes got wide from the insubordination and disrespect. Mary Margaret tried to defend her new buddy. "She was just offering her thoughts, she meant to harm."

If Regina had magic right then she would've shot a fireball to consume the two idiots. She couldn't believe that Miss Kyle would be so careless in such a delicate situation. These parents were already tearing themselves in knots, worrying about their lost child and these two were making the situation more stressful. They had no idea of what it is like to lose a daughter. For a second, Regina's eyes watered, but she willed them back.

Sensing that the Mayor didn't like her presence, Mary Margaret decided to call it a night. "Um….I have class tomorrow. I think I'm going to home to get some rest."

"That sounds like a great idea Ms. Blanchard." Regina coolly replied and Fiona just bit her tongue. She focused her attention on the school teacher. "Let me make sure you get to your car safely."

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

Fiona woke up bright and early the next day. Hearing someone working outside, she opened her door to investigate. The house was empty, so she ventured outside. She saw the widow trying to lead her small flock of sheep to the far side of the pasture to graze.

Fascinated by the sight the girl went to an apple tree to watch from a far. There was something peaceful seeing the animals obediently respond to the woman. Fiona had always loved being around animals, she found their presence calming.

Her stomach grumbled. She was hungry, but she didn't want to interrupt the widow from her duties. Looking up she saw the solution to her problem - red, crisp apples were hanging above her.

She shimmied up and plucked a big juicy one. Biting into it, she couldn't help but smile. The juices dripped from her mouth so she wiped them on her sleeve. It was unladylike, but she didn't care. Her aunt was hear to scold her. Fiona could do as she pleased and what she wanted to do was enjoy the view.

She glanced back to watch the widow, but she had moved a bit further. Feeling compelled to get a better look, Fiona climb up the tree. Her right knee throbbed, but she pressed on. Finding a sturdy branch, she made herself comfortable. She couldn't see the sheep or the widow, but she found that being in the tree was relaxing all on its own.

She felt free - no worries, no responsibilities. She closed her eyes and just relaxed.

She sat there for some time when she heard someone yelling.

"Fiona!"

Hearing her name, the girl opened her eyes to search for the one calling.

"Fiona!" It was Snow, who sounded panicked. "Where are you?"

"I'm here!" She called out from her perch.

Shocked, Snow yelled, "What are you doing? Get down here now!"

"Coming." Obediently the girl climbed down.

Snapping at her, Snow reprimanded. "Don't ever do that! You scared me."

Not understanding why she was so angry, Fiona told her, "I just was hungry and no one was in the house."

The former princess threw her hands up in the air. "So you climbed a tree? You need to give your knee time to heal. You could've fell. What were you thinking?"

"I was just watching-"

Not wanting to hear the excuse, Snow waved her hand. "I don't care. You could've hurt yourself or worse. You need to think before you act."

Seeing how upset Snow was with her, Fiona's voice cracked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you alarm."

Snow could tell the apology was sincere. "Apology accepted." She pulled the girl closer to her. "Just don't do that again."

"I promise."

* * *

**Storybrooke**

During the walk, Fiona rehashed what she had said and realized her misstatement. While she didn't appreciate how Mayor Mills handled it, but she had to admit that the woman was right.

After she watched the teacher leave the area, Fiona then went back to see if there was anything else she could do. Screwing up with Chelsea's parents motivated her to stay a few more hours. Her conscience was bothering her and she wanted to fix her mistake.

Graham saw her come back and waved her to come over. Before he said anything, Fiona apologized. "I'm so sorry Graham for messing up earlier with the parents. I wasn't thinking straight. I should've kept my mouth shut and let you do your job. Could I give them my apologies?" She was scanning around, but didn't see them anywhere.

"No need. Regina is sending them home for tonight and smoothing things over." The Sheriff was glad that Regina taking care of the awkward situation. He had no idea what to say and a part of him was happy to see a more sensitive side of Regina. "We're going to send everyone back to where you two were and focus on the areas around it."

"Okay, I'd like to stay for a bit more. Perhaps I can find something else." She hoped that her assistance would be welcomed.

He smiled warmly at her attempt to right her wrong. "We could certainly use your help."

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks; I'll get some coffee and I'll be good to go." She went to the snack and drink table and filled up her cup with the last of the coffee.

As Regina approached the group again, Graham started giving assignments to the few pairs that were left. "If you don't mind Mayor Mills, could you please work with Miss Kyle for a bit? Since I'm going to stay here overnight, I'd like to grab a cat nap." It wasn't the best idea, but he was just too drained to swap out pairs.

Regina scowled at the suggestion. "I think I would be more effective by working with someone else. Perhaps someone with more expertise." It was loud enough for everyone in the area to hear. Tossing a fake apology towards Fiona she said "No offense."

She didn't have time for this. Taking a sip from her cup, Fiona went ahead and started walking to her assigned area. "Apology not accepted." She saw the shocked faces from the handful of volunteers that she passed and hoped Regina had the same expression. She could search the whole woods herself. Picking up the pace, she got to her spot and began checking around. It was happily peaceful for about 10 minutes.

Hearing footsteps behind, Fiona thought Graham was going to either give her a pep talk or lecture her. Instead she heard the Mayor's voice. "What is your problem Miss Kyle?"

This woman is a piece of work. Looking directly into Mayor Mills' eyes Fiona asked, "Your attitude is my problem, Madam Mayor."

This child is a piece of work. Regina thought as she tried to get a read of the young lady's face, which was almost impossible. "Excuse me, Miss Kyle?"

Fiona couldn't hide her annoyance."You heard me the first time." Maybe it was the exhaustion from the search, maybe it was the fact that she was tired of being treated as an inferior, but Fiona lost her fear of the mayor.

The cup of coffee had yet to kick in, so her irritation was at an all time high. Her mouth had gotten her trouble growing up and her family tried to get her to learn to hold her tongue. It was to no avail. She inanely learned to hold back a bit when she came into Storybrooke, as she couldn't slip up and let others know that she was as affected by the curse.

Now she was not only letting her mouth move without thinking, she was doing so with the one woman who had real power in this town, over everyone.

Regina for her part was a bit stunned. "Who do you think you are?!" She couldn't believe that this child would be upset even though she was the one who spoke thoughtlessly to the missing girl's parents. Regina had to calm them down and reassure them that there was hope and that she would do everything in her power to get their daughter back.

This girl has to learn to keep her mouth shut. She tried to intimidate her, this time though Fiona's hazel eyes matched intensity with Regina's. "I could ask you the same. What gives you the right to belittle me and my skill? I was the one who found the bag and I took care of the maps, so the area could get searched. What have you done?"

Stepping up to her face, Regina spoke through her clenched teeth. "You stupid little girl. You have no idea of what you're talking about! Chelsea's parents were already assuming the worst and you just adding fuel to their fear. Do you have any idea of what it is like to lose a child?!"

Caught off guard by Regina's point and realizing the full extent of her mistake, Fiona backed down and was going to apologize, but it was already too late. Regina was set off and was about to rip into her. "Do yourself and others a favor by being silent unless spoken to. Learn to mind your own business or so help me, I'll-"

Graham got there just in time, he heard the escalating argument and ran to break it up. "Ladies, why don't we switch up partners? I'll work with Regina and Fiona can -"

Regina interrupted him. "Miss Kyle, you are obviously tired. Thank you for your help, but we no longer need your assistance. Go home." The girl doesn't realize how lucky she is to reside in a land without magic.

The sheriff tried to pull the Mayor to the side to calm her down, but she wasn't going to listen to him this time. "We can't both be here Graham. Send her home." With that she was gone. Graham walked to Fiona and whispered, "I think it's best if you call it a night. I'll let you know when we find her."

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

Feeling bad about scaring Snow earlier, Fiona remained in her room for the rest of the day. As instructed she rest her knee, only getting up to read the small collection of books.

When it was starting to get closer to their departure, Snow helped her with cleaning up. "How can you dirty up a room so quickly?" She asked as she finished putting the books on the small cupboard.

"I don't know. It just happened."

Snow rolled her eyes. "Be glad my stepmother isn't here." She muttered. Had this girl grown up in her family, Regina would've chastised her constantly for being so untidied. Tired, she took a seat on the foot of the small bed. "You have to learn to be neater."

"But what would the maids do?"

Snow was about to reply when the girl held up her hands. "It was a joke. Yes, I've heard numerous lectures from my aunt the importance of cleanliness. I guess I actually need to apply the lesson."

"That would be nice."

Just then the widow came in the room. "The miller is outside ma'am." She looked at the two of them sitting on the bed together. "You two look like you could be sisters." Hearing that, Snow's face fell while Fiona beamed. That was the first time the younger girl ever heard that she resembled someone.

Remembering her manners, Fiona got up to express her gratitude. "Thank you for your hospitality ma'am." Her leg ached for sure, but she wanted to make the effort. After all this woman was a stranger and yet she was kind enough to let her stay.

Snow stood next to Fiona and allowed her to put her weight on her so the child could take the pressure off her knee. She too thanked the widow. "Thank Riley. For everything. I hope all goes well for your family. "

The two made it downstairs and Snow got Fiona into the wagon outside. After hugging the widow one last time she joined the girl on the wagon and the miller began their journey.

* * *

**Storybrooke**

Fiona managed to sleep for only a few hours. Her mixed feelings about the whole situation made it impossible to get rest. Finally fed up, she got up and dressed, grabbed her flashlight, and went outside to take her motorcycle to the last place they searched.

Dawn hadn't came yet so the roads were almost pitch black, causing Fiona to ride slower than she would've wanted. She parked her back at the side of the road and began to work right away. She zipped her brown jacket up a bit more as it was still very chilly. The woods looked much more menacing this early in the day.

Pushing down her fears, she ventured further into the forest. She saw that the area where she and Mary Margaret had found the bag now had now been trampled, no doubt by everyone re-examining it to see if any new clues would come. She hoped that they did find something, but until Graham was at the station, she couldn't call him to get an update. It wasn't like she had his home number.

Besides I'm sure no one really wants to talk to me after last night. She was angry with herself for letting her mouth get ahead of her mind. But she was determined not to wallow in self-pity. She wanted to help this girl get back to her family.

She continued searching along the path and after about an hour she saw something that gave her some hope. Clearing out some leaves on the ground, she noticed footprints, child size. The sun was starting to come up, but it was still too dark to see with just her eyes, so Fiona used her flashlight to get a better look.

"Did you find something?"

The voice caused Fiona to yelp and jumped up. She didn't hear anybody come up so she got into a defensive stance. Only then did she realized who it was. Graham was there in his uniform, smirking at her.

She hated surprises and here was an example of why. "Graham; are you trying to scare me to death?" She yelled.

He held his hands up, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you. I just woke up and wanted to get a head start on the search and noticed that your Ducati was parked on the road." He changed to a more comfortable, less professional tone. "You know, if you want people to treat you as adult, then maybe having a motorcycle isn't the best idea." He offered like a big brother to his younger sister.

"You sound like my aunt.' She crossed her arm, giving him a smile. "And like I tell her, my motorcycle is completely paid for, cheap to maintain, and it's a fun ride. I don't really care what other people think anyways."

He walked over to her. "Yes, you do. That's why you're so sensitive to anything that you think is a criticism." When she rolled her eyes at his assessment, he was reminded of Regina. She too hated criticism, even warranted ones. Nevertheless, he went back to the reason he was there. "What is that?"

"I think Chelsea was here." He looked the print and started expanding the search for there in a couple of minutes he another footprint, much bigger than the girl's. The bigger prints started where hers ended and the second set was in the direction of a nearby road. "I think you were right Fi - I don't think she was alone." The pair walked over to the road, but they didn't see way indication of which way the girl was taken.

Thinking for a minute, he came up with a plan. "I'm going back in town to get some help. I need you to notify the park rangers and have them limit access to the roads." The two started running back to their vehicles.

Once they got there, a question came up in Fiona's mind. "Wait, shouldn't you go talk to the rangers? Why would they listen to me?" She wondered. She wasn't exactly an authority figure in town.

Opening the door, Graham told her, "They'll listen. I explained to them yesterday that you were my assistant." Shutting his door, Graham pushed down the pedal to rush back in town.

True to his word, in about an hour, there were several cars carrying volunteers back at the park, all ready to locate Chelsea. The park rangers were in position blocking entries and exits. As Mary Margaret was back in class and Graham was giving instructions to the last couple of unassigned rangers, Fiona sat by herself towards the back of the focused crowd.

She wished she had asked Graham to grab a coffee. No one brought up any this morning and she was really dragging. She then noticed Regina walking by her, scowl still intact from last night. The Mayor, as usual, looked sharp in a gray pant suit, but her face indicated that she hardly slept last night as well. She too was alone as the Sheriff was occupied and everyone was avoiding her.

Part of Fiona felt vindicated about what she said last night, Regina was a bully who enjoyed putting down others. However she also remember that Mayor Mills had a point as well. Whether intentional or not, Fiona had hurt the lost girl's parents.

Bothered by her conscience, Fiona walked up to the Mayor, doing her best to ignore the older woman's glare. "Madam Mayor, I'm sorry about last night." Those words were harder to say than she thought. "You were absolutely right. I spoke out of turn and even though I had no intention of hurting Chelsea's parents, I did. Graham said that you talked to them to calm them down. Thank you for that."

The Mayor looked her up and down as if inspecting her and said nothing. Feeling ridiculous, Fiona awkwardly finished the conversation. "Ok, well, that's it. I'll let you get back to managing the search." She nervously tapped her hands by her side. Assuming that Mayor Mills wanted nothing else to do with her, the hazel-eyed brunette left and went back to her lonely spot in the back, waiting for the next assignment.

As Miss Kyle walked away Regina was still trying to figure out what just happened. When the disheveled woman came up, Regina thought it was going to be another verbal fight so she mentally braced herself. As she hadn't gotten any sleep last night, she was too exhausted to really care about trading barbs.

Regina never figured she'd get an apology. Ever. Just hearing that had Regina trying to think about when that last happened. It hadn't in the last decade since they came to this land. It felt strange that it happened now.

Graham was addressing the small crowd, telling them they were changing tactics and having some pairs to be on foot and some to be driving around the area. With that, the crowd dispersed to quickly and Regina went to the Sheriff. "Is everything okay? I thought you already had an assignment." He asked.

"I was just about to get in my car." She felt a bit nervous, but she told Graham. "I wanted to let you know I was going to have someone join me." Pairs were lining up behind her.

The fair haired sheriff was surprised; Regina was a not a team player by any stretch of the imagination. "Who's your partner?"

"Miss Kyle."


	5. Unlikely Pair

**The Enchanted Forest**

It was bumpy long ride back to the town where Fiona's family was staying in. The two had slept through the night under a blanket, but now that it was morning Fiona felt the need to eat. "Is he going to stop so we can get some food?" She asked Snow.

Shouldn't be too much longer, I believe there is a village up ahead." Snow recalled.

When they got off of the wagon, Snow spoke a few words to the merchant and came back to Fiona. "He's going to rest a bit and do some trade. We have about an hour or so before we have to leave. Why don't we grab a meal now and get some for the road?" Fiona agreed. Her stomach was practically howling from hunger.

This village looked familiar to the girl and she remembered that they stopped by here before on their trip as her cousin Ewan was nauseous from the ride and needed a break. "I believe there's a couple in this village who have the best porridge around here." She paused to gather her bearings and look around the area. "They run an inn with right by the cobbler. My family and I were here a few days ago."

Snow's face crinkled at the mention of porridge. Since becoming a fugitive she had learned to adapt her palate when it came to food, but she never got used to porridge. It was so bland, even the texture was boring.

Fiona saw the look of disgust on Snow's face and figured, "You're not a fan? Do they serve it here often? Is that why you don't like it?"

Snow was honest with the her about the reason, "I felt like I've had enough to last me a lifetime." While she certainly appreciated the hospitality of strangers, she was a bit over being served porridge every morning.

Amazed, Fiona said "Really?! They serve that here all the time?! We don't have that at home. It's always eggs, a piece of bread, and some meat. Fruit once in awhile, but that's about it for breakfast." Living in a slightly colder climate with different crops, the meals served back home were more practical than here.

In fact everything about Fiona's day to day routine was grounded in practicality.

Besides deciding on the family's meals, her aunt Moira had strong opinions on the type of education Fiona and her cousins got. As they got older, more and more was expected of them, especially with her.

As Emyn's only child she would be expected to take over her mom's position at the council. Her aunt was acting as a temporary agent until she deemed Fiona worthy and ready. The young girl tried not to think about the pressure, but she knew that at some point she wouldn't be asked to step up, but simply told to do it.

As she and Snow made it closer to her family, the knot in her stomach grew. She knew that her adventure with the bandit was coming to a close and she would have to resume her life.

It was depressing.

Attempting to push away the negative thoughts, the girl suggested, "Why don't we go eat something you like?" It didn't matter to her where or what they ate. She just wanted to be in Snow's company and chat. It felt great to be around someone who adventured almost every day, rescuing others.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I want to see how the locals eat."

Their meal was delicious and the baker gave Fiona an extra pastry as a gift. Snow and her little companion spent the rest of the hour talking about what they saw. The rapport between the two was natural and by the end, they were able to joke one another in a friendly manner. It had been a long while since Snow had such a connection with a stranger. She hoped that somehow the two could stay in contact, but she knew that would be impossible.

* * *

**Storybrooke**

It was the most awkward twenty minutes that had ever passed in Fiona's life. The silence between them was unsettling to her. She was terrified as to what possessed the mayor to request her as a partner with the search. For the first five minutes she thought Regina had found out that she was somewhat immune to the curse and was going to kill her there in the Mercedes and dump her body. However when the older brunette started drinking her coffee, Fiona was relaxed just a bit.

Still the silence continued.

Regina just continued drinking, glancing at her from time to time. With her neutral expression Fiona had no idea what the Mayor was was also jealously gazing at the coffee. Why didn't I get some earlier?

Fiona had read somewhere that the first person to speak in a negotiation was the loser, so she fought hard to stay quiet. She used the time to brush her hair and touch up her makeup that she so hastily put on earlier. Fiona turned her attention to their task and pretended to be taking notes, scribbling names of the shops and people they passed.

As per their assignment, the two drove around the area, parked at intersections, and watched to see if anything unusual happened. They repeated this cycle a few times without a speaking a word to one another. Her nerves were starting to get the best of her. Finally the silence seemed ridiculous and she broke it with some small talk. "I don't know about you, but I couldn't sleep last night. I hope Chelsea is found soon." She looked out the window in the vain hope that the girl would be standing there, unharmed and ready to go home.

Regina sighed, also exhausted from worrying about the missing girl. "Well, if everyone follows the sheriff's instructions, it will certainly increase our chances of finding her."

Hearing that it was a matter of chance that they'd get to the girl in time distressed the younger brunette. "So you think there's the possibility we won't get to her?"

Clearing her throat, Regina reminded her temporary partner, "It's an unfortunate truth that bad things happen to good people Ms. Kyle."

Fiona had enough firsthand knowledge about that, but it didn't ease the knot in her stomach.

"It just doesn't seem right. She's just a child."

A flash of pain swelled into irritation at the immature comment. "Please don't tell me that you believe that children are somehow exempt to cruel fates of the universe."

Fiona tried to explain. "Of course not, I just…kids…are innocent."

Regina couldn't hide the hurt she was feeling."That's what makes it so tragic." She was certainly shaken by the missing girl, but she was really thinking about a person closer to her heart. It amazed her at how raw she still felt about losing her daughter Rose Red so quickly. She was innocent and yet fate took her away.

Not knowing what Regina was thinking Fiona assumed that the Mayor was upset over Chelsea. "I didn't realize how strongly you felt about this case."

"What, are you surprised that I care about a child's welfare?" She said bitterly. With ears around town, Regina knew what people said about her. Even with a new life in this land, some things hadn't changed - she was feared, but not loved. "I'm not the callous person so many people make out me to be."

The sadness in the mayor's voice bothered Fiona. It didn't fit with the image she had for the Evil Queen. Growing up, she had heard tales of a woman consumed by enmity that she was willing to punish an entire realm for one woman. Everyone spoke of how heartless the Queen was and how she care for no one but herself.

And yet here was the same woman, maybe a foot away and all Fiona saw was a woman concerned with finding an abducted child before something awful happened.

Fiona couldn't use the curse as an excuse. Regina had her memories - there was no denying the contempt and hatred the mayor held on her face whenever Mary Margaret was around.

She was conflicted. It was impossible for so many people to be wrong. Fiona had met Snow and she saw for herself the fear and pain the queen had inflicted on the bandit. And yet she was debating if perhaps she hadn't gotten the whole story. Maybe there was more to what she had heard.

Fiona couldn't say that the Evil Queen wasn't in the mayor, she couldn't imagine someone changing so much, but maybe that darkness was buried.

"No, you're not what I heard. I'm sorry that I believe it without even meeting you."

For the second time that day, Regina was stunned by the impulsive brunette. That was the second apology in the last hour that she had received. The mayor's dark brown eyes studied the woman's face for any sign of deception. When she saw that the apology was sincere, she awkwardly accepted it. "Thank you."

Fiona never heard anyone thank someone for an apology, but she guessed that was how the mayor did things.

Trying to switch topics, she asked, "Shouldn't be we try to look beyond the park? Why would someone stay here when they know we'll be looking for the girl?" She had wanted to raise this point up at the meeting earlier, but seeing at how badly she screwed up last time, she kept her mouth shut.

Regina responded, "Graham thinks Chelsea's abductor may be someone working at the park." She shared that revelation as casually as if she was noting a flavor in her coffee. "When he got to the station this morning, he asked me to check the town records to see if we knew what kind of boots the park rangers used. It turned out it was a match to what he saw. He's using this search assignment with the rangers and the volunteers as a diversion. He is checking each of the employees' homes, starting with the ones that are sick today."

Fiona couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Are you being serious?!" It bothered her greatly as she felt so used. "He could've told me." All that talk about being his assistant was a ruse. She felt her cheeks fire up as her anger rose.

Regina shrugged. "I told him it would be better if you were kept in the dark. More believable that way."

With that reveal, Fiona rolled her eyes and muttered, "Of course it would be your idea."

Surprised that she didn't like her plan Regina asked, "What exactly does that mean Ms. Kyle?"

"Nothing." She mumbled, purposely looking out of the passenger window and zipping up her brown leather jacket as a signal that she was not comfortable with the situation. It was a childish gesture for sure, but Fiona was too upset to look at the other woman right now

For the moment Regina ignored the adolescent behavior. "I thought you of all people would appreciate the delicacy of the situation Ms. Kyle. We need Chelsea back safely and this would allow Graham to do his job while minimizing putting innocent people in danger." Mayor Mills felt completely at ease with the intent and execution of the plan. "Besides I just told you the plan and I didn't have to." The Mayor added before she resumed sipping her coffee.

Another ten minutes passed with neither woman speaking. Ironically since they weren't looking at each other, they didn't realize they had both had the same expression on their faces - feigned disinterest. The older woman was bit more practiced at it, so she slipped into it much easier. Still looking away, but mulling over what had been said, Fiona knew she had overreacted. "I'm sorry. You two were right about the plan. It's probably the best way to go about this."

"So happy to have your approval." Regina regretted the quip as soon it left her mouth. The girl had obviously had not taken it as she intended. The mayor had hoped to lighten the mood with a joke, but Fiona seemed to have been insulted. Regina's first reaction was to blame the girl for her failure to understand between the lines, but the truth was it had been a lifetime since she had a friend. And the unsophisticated twenty-something was the complete opposite of the worldly and experienced Maleficent.

She silently scolded herself for comparing the two women. There was no connection between them. The latter had been her only friend during a dark period in her past and this…..just barely an adult was someone who couldn't even filter own thoughts, much less offer something substantial.


	6. Rescue

**The Enchanted Forest**

As they were heading back to the miller's wagon, a company of the Queen's Guard just entered the village. Seeing them, Snow immediately ducked in between the two shops and pulled her hood over her head. Glancing at Fiona, she signaled her to go meet her at the other end of the street. Snow snuck past the guards as they were interviewing the blond woman manning the toy stall. "Have you seen a young girl around? About eight, dark hair and hazel eyes? She goes by the name of Fiona."

The woman shook her head that she hadn't and the guards move on to the next vendor, asking the same questions. It looked like Regina put her men in charge of Fiona's search. I guess Fiona's family has some influence she figured since Snow could not recall her stepmother caring over such matters before. She kept tabs on the men as they worked through the crowd. The younger one with the auburn beard seemed tired and frustrated. "This is finding a needle in a haystack. She can't be much further than this town unless she used a horse to run. Do you think any of them are hiding her from us? Should we get a bit rougher with the locals?"

"Relax, Louis. This girl is to be treated well and with no drama. The Isen ambassador offered a reward and the Queen wants to claim it. Keep calm. We'll find her soon enough." His superior ordered. At least Fiona would be safe.

Continuing her way, the two girls gathered behind the blacksmith where he placed his scraps. Snow got to Fiona's level and instructed her. "The Queen has sent the guards to take you back to your family. You should go with them."

"What about you?" Fiona wondered. She didn't want her new friend to get into trouble. Snow replied, "I'll hide here and once they are gone, I'll move to a safer spot. Please be careful, I'll be watching from a distance until I see that you're okay." She hugged the little girl.

Fiona was obedient and went towards the plaza. Snow stayed far enough so as not to be seen, but quietly followed. She saw the girl approach one of the guards and after speaking a bit, they escorted her towards a carriage. Satisfied that she was okay, Snow was leaving when she heard a gravely male voice. "Looks like our lucky day Claude. We found the missing girl and Snow White. I think we may see a reward from the Queen." She took the closest object she could find, a pail, and threw it at them. Distracted she started running. She knocked over items quickly, trying to gain some distance between herself and her pursuers. It was too close for her to use her bow so she tried to find an escape so she could use her weapons against them.

She climbed a stall that was butt against the wall and went over. Losing her grip she tumbled down, but she was on the other side. She started sprint in the opposite direction, heading off the road into the woods. The guards saw her path scattering to try and get her caught. Snow kept zig zagging around the area, but she couldn't lose them.

When she had enough distance, she pulled out her bow and grabbed an arrow. Finding her first target, she shot a guard, catching his arm. As he went down, she reloaded and shot a second one, this time taking out the auburn haired guard she heard complain earlier with a shot to his lower leg. She was about to get a third arrow ready when she noticed that she was surrounded and wouldn't have enough time to get them all before they overwhelmed her. Like an answer to her unspoken plea, the ground shook and everyone lost their balance.

Using this serendipitous chance, Snow started running again. She was panicking, their footsteps were coming closer. Suddenly she got dizzy and felt as if the whole woods were spinning. Falling from the vertigo that attacked her, she landed on her stomach. She felt a hand pat her back. "Snow, Snow! Are you alright?!" She rolled over to see Fiona right over her.

**Storybrooke**

Relieved that another awkward moment was avoided, Regina drove to a convenience store a couple of blocks down to allow Fiona to grab somethings to eat. Hunting around the store sh picked up a burrito and a root beer to munch on. Fiona paid the cashier and as she was leaving she noticed that a park ranger was in the other side of the store, grabbing some duct tape. Before he looked up and recognize her, she turned and left the store.

Walking up to Regina's car, she opened the door to tell her what she saw, but the Mayor was already on a walkie-talkie. "Graham, you should come over where we are. We've just seen one of the rangers rush into the store, fa off from his assignment. He's at the Lucky Mart."

She looked at Fiona and pointed at the blue pick-up across the lot from them. "Can you see his license plate?'

Looking at the truck she told her "BCS 8579".

Regina relayed to information. "Did you catch that Sheriff? Bravo Charlie Sierra 8579."

"I did." It was quiet for a minute and then he came back on. "That is Thomas Crane's truck. He was there this morning getting the other rangers at their assigned spots. He isn't supposed to leave his station until I gave the ok. His home is on the other side of … What is he doing over by you two? I'll be over there in 10 minutes."

Mayor Mills suggested, "We'll try to delay him until you're here."

Just then, Crane came out with a couple of bags. He looked stressed and he ran back to his car. Fiona pointed at him to Regina. "Too late. He's getting away, we have got to follow him." The Mayor nodded and shifted her car into drive. "Graham, he's on the move, we're following."

"Don't get too close. He can't know that you're tailing him Regina." He warned. "Just see where he goes and update me so I can come over. Don't get out of the car!" the concern in voice was both for professional and personal reasons.

Regina waited a few seconds and pulled out of the parking lot, keeping some distance between her car and the truck. As Crane made turns Regina was able to keep up, even taking slightly different streets while still keeping tabs on him in case he was looking behind.

Fiona was impressed and whispered. "You're really good at this."

Smiling at the complement Regina slipped, "I've had enough practice." Wisely deciding not to go there with her, Fiona tried to be helpful by observing the truck to see if there were any signs of the little girl. She didn't see anything in the bed of the truck or in the passenger section.

Graham's voice crackled over the walkie-talkies once more. "Where are you two? I just passed the convenience store."

Mayor Mills responded, "He's stopping by a motel off of Lassister Rd. The sign is broken, but I think it's called Sunrise. " Crane went parked his car and went inside one of the rooms. Regina parked across the street where she could get an angle of the front entrance and rolled down her window.

"Stay there. He could be armed." He ordered.

That's when they heard a scream, loud enough to be heard. It obviously sounded like a little girl's cry for help, high pitched. The screams came out again. Fiona and Regina looked at each other. Waiting for Graham was no longer an option.

* * *

**The Enchanted Forest**

"What happened?" Snow asked as she examined the area they were in. There was a different scent in this forest. She had learned from others to use all of her senses when checking her surroundings. The woods were familiar, but it certainly wasn't where they were mere moments ago.

Fiona bit her lip. "I used magic." When she was upstairs resting at the widow's house, she had some time to think. She had been debating whether or not to tell Snow her gift, but in the end she figured it wasn't a big deal and she was silent. Now that she had used it with her right there, she knew she couldn't lie to her buddy. " I guess that's how I got lost in the first place."

A flood of questions came to Snow's mind. She pushed aside most of them and just asked the most pressing. "You know magic? How come you didn't transport back earlier?" She was worried that somehow Regina was using this girl as part of an elaborate trap. It wouldn't have been the first time the Evil Queen deceived her.

"Actually I have no idea how the quick traveling works. It's only happened a few times in my life." The girl started pacing nervously. " I came to find you to see if I could maybe bargain with the guard. I didn't want you caught by the Evil Queen. I didn't plan on using magic to get us away." Fiona heard the guards yell for Snow and saw part of the chase. As all of them were a bit thrown off by Snow's appearance in town, she slipped by and tried to find Snow on her own.

Trusting her gut, Snow accepted this girl's explanation. "Have you used other magic before?"

Looking around the otherwise empty woods to see if anyone else was listening, Fiona lowered her voice. "A few times, but mostly for play. And small stuff." She had used some to help her with her training as a way to even the playing field. She felt guilty admitting she needed help. "Nothing like this, I promise."

"Thank you for helping me, but you still have to get back to your family. Let's see if we can figure out where we are. " Snow and Fiona started searching the woods for a path. Finding one, they took it, hoping to see a sign or landmark to reveal their location. Being from the area, Snow figured that somehow Fiona got them closer to the outskirts of the palace and that they were only a few hours away from the town. However with Fiona's knee problems, they took it much more slowly. Besides she had grown to like having a companion with her. It helped with the time.

Interrupting her thoughts, Fiona spoke. "Is it always like this? Do you have to have to hide all of the time from the Queen? Is she really that evil?" She was afraid for her friend. Who could ever keep hidden from a Queen?

Sighing, Snow answered. "Yes, it is something I've learned to get used to as she is very persistent. " She was still trying to figure out why Regina was so determined to destroy her. She wondered what changed her from the heroic woman she met all the those years before.

"Aren't you tired of hiding?" Fiona asked. It was a simple question, but looking back at everything, Snow felt the weight over the past year or so hit her.

"Too tired actually. Sometimes I wish I would wake up and discover that this was a very long and bad dream. My parents would be there waiting for me in my room." Just mentioning her mother Eva and her father Leopold gave Snow a large lump in her throat. Having her beloved father murdered was difficult, but to be accused of committing the heinous crime only made her more disgusted with her stepmother. She was clenching her fists just thinking about it.

"Me too" The little girl sighed. Snow looked at her and remembered that she never mentioned getting back to her parents, only her cousin. Fiona continued talking without any prompting. "They died almost 2 years ago. A bunch of raiders came to our estate and destroyed everything. Papa told me to hide and so I did. Even with the gates up, they came inside. They were burning everything and they had swords. Eventually they were in our castle and they " She stopped for a moment and caught her breath "Those monsters killed my parents. I ran as fast as I could to get away and then all of a sudden I was outside. Way out where I could see our home going up in flames. That was the first time I used magic. "

Once she had grasped what happened, she tried to go back, but it was too late. The raiders placed the gate up and she had no way to get back as she didn't understand how to use her gift. Hiding in the area, she was eventually found by her aunt and uncle.

Sympathetic to the girl, Snow hugged her. "I'm so sorry to hear about your parents. At least I'm glad that you're safe and magic helped." Snow felt connected to this small kindred spirit and was truly happy that Fiona survived that horrible day.

"What good was it? I couldn't save them and now I'm alone." Fiona would be forever grateful to her aunt for taking her in, but it wasn't the same. The young girl had lost her family and now she was simply a long term guest in another's home.

"You're not alone. You have your aunt and your cousins. And you have me." She wished she could spend more time with her, especially knowing that they had even more to bond over.

* * *

**Storybrooke**

"I'm going in." She said and opened the door. She expected to hear some opposition to this foolish plan, but none came. Instead Regina was right behind, carrying a police issue baton. The Mayor looked at her unprepared partner and asked "What are you going to use Ms. Kyle against Crane?"

Realizing that she just ran out with nothing, she lied and said, "I have mace in my pocket."

They hid behind a bush. They could hear muffled cries coming from the room and a man yelling. Regina pointed to the sidewalk. "You'll need to pretend to be maid service. And I'll disable Crane while he's distracted."

Fiona wondered out loud, "What if he has a gun?! I could get shot!"

Regina coolly replied, "Don't worry, I'll have your back." While Fiona wanted to protest this horrible plan that placed her in danger, the little girl screamed again and the woman took a leap of faith with Regina. She ran up to the door and knocked. "Room service." She said in her best maid like voice.

The Mayor was on the other side of the door, poised to use her nightstick. Some noise came from the room and the man cracked the door enough to expose his face. As he opened his mouth, Fiona pushed the door into him. He fell and Regina struck his head. Angered, he fought with her over the baton.

Fiona's eyes scoured the room and she saw the little girl taped and lying on the floor. She was crying and battered, but she was alive. She quickly got her up and pushed her to the back door of the room. "Hide in here!" The girl complied and locked the door.

A sharp pain smacked Fiona and she stumbled onto the floor. The ranger had gotten a hold of Regina's baton. Her vision was a bit blurry, but she noticed that he turned his attention back towards Mayor Mills who now was armed with a lamp. She threw it at him full force and he ducked to avoid it. Instinctively the younger woman rammed into him and got the baton out of his hand. Taking an ashtray on the floor, she used it as a weapon, yelling to her partner, "Grab Chelsea!"

Ranger Crane took advantage of his strength and grabbed the hazel-eyed woman by the throat. He then rolled and pinned her until he was on top. She struggled and found the baton by feeling for it on the floor and used it against his face. Adrenaline had taken over by then so her strikes weren't have much of an effect on the burly man.

She felt a few more blows before she was knocked out cold.


	7. A New Friend

**The Enchanted Forest**

The last leg of the trip went slowly, but smoothly. Fiona was healing quickly and they made it to the outskirts of the town. They were by the fountain that Fiona had gotten lost by. Feeling tired, they rested up a bit. The two sat next to each other, not moving or saying a word, both hoping that time would not move forward. In the past couple of days they had bonded and neither one of them wanted to break it.

Seeing as it was getting dark and Fiona needed to be with her folks, Snow started speaking, "I guess this is it. I'll keep an eye on you until you get to the inn to make sure you make it to your family." She rubbed her arm and gave her hug. "Please stay out of trouble."

Tears were quickly forming so Snow turned away to leave.

"You could live with me." Fiona called out. Thinking out loud, she laid out all the benefits to her spontaneous plan. "You could change your name and come join us. We are nobles, so you would have a place. You can stay at my family's estate. You would not have to worry about the Queen following you as we're so far away. Even with the trade routes approved, merchants would only be coming occasionally. "

Snow was touched by the offer, but she couldn't accept. "I would love to come and live with you, but my home is here. I have to help my people get from under the Evil Queen's hand."

Tears started streaming from Fiona's eyes, she wasn't about to give up this argument. "You can still do that and I can help. Come home with me and in a few years I'll be older and I'll be ready and have soldiers come help you. We can be a team. We can defeat the Evil Queen together. Please."

Wiping the little girl's tears, Snow felt her own eyes get wet. "I wish it would be so easy Fiona, but it is a dangerous mission and it would break my heart to see you hurt. Your place is with your family."

"We can be a family!" she exclaimed. "I don't want to be alone. I want you to stay with me. Please. I have no one else that understands me, not like you do. Please come!" She started sobbing on Snow, clutching her as hard as she could.

For a minute, Snow considered the offer seriously. She had grown attached to this little girl quickly and it deeply moved her to see how much the little girl loved her. Still, it would not be good for the little one to be around her. Regina would never give up on finding Snow. That would put Fiona in danger and Snow could not do that to an innocent child.

"I love you Fiona, but I can't come. Please understand it's not that I don't want to, but I have responsibilities. When you are older, you'll understand. Here, let me get you something." She looked through her personal belongings and found what she was looking for. "My mother gave this ring to me as a little girl. This ring is very special to me and I want you to have it. " The girl placed it on her right middle finger. "I'll keep it safe, I swear. "

Truthfully Snow didn't ever want to part with it, but knowing that Fiona was wearing the ring made her feel like that she was putting it where it belonged.

"We'll meet again some day. I promise. For now I have to leave. Go inside town and get home to your family. I have no doubt that they are missing you dearly. "

Fiona was devastated, but knew that Snow was right. She couldn't join her hero and the woman would not be happy in a land far from her own people. Nodding her head, she said, "I understand. I'll go, but if you ever need anything just let me know. If you ever change your mind, please come. I will make sure we meet again. Friends?"

Smiling at the brave girl, Snow hugged her again and kissed her on the forehead. "Friends forever."

* * *

**Storybrooke**

As they were being wheeled into Storybrooke General Hospital, Regina looked ahead at Fiona, still unconscious, but breathing. Being a small facility they were all in the same area for triage, but they had curtains that served as partitions to give some feeling of privacy.

The missing girl they rescued, Chelsea, was taken to the other side of the giant room. Her parents were with her the entire time, holding her hands. While she certainly had some recovering to do, she was alive and well. Regina felt good that the girl was back where she belonged, with her loving family.

Fiona was placed next to Regina's area. She could glimpse a bit as part of the curtain was pulled back and everyone around the young woman was concerned about her lack of response. The female doctor handling Fiona wasn't doing much of anything, simply reading the machines and puzzled, but hardly touching her patient. She seemed inexperienced and Regina was starting to worry.

Heading toward his assigned patient, Dr. Whale came up to the Mayor to check her over, but Regina pushed him away. "I'm alright Whale! Go take care of Miss Kyle, she needs you. I can wait." She was irritated at the lack of competence at this place. Surely he could see that she only had some minor bruises.

The doctor did his best to assure his patient. "Ms. Kyle is already being cared for Mayor." He glanced over to see who was handling the young woman's case and frown. It was Dr. Goodman, a mid-aged woman with a reputation for sticking too close to the book. She wasn't a bad doctor who harmed patients, but if a case didn't follow the textbook example she tended to get flustered.

Seeing how uneasy he was watching her, Regina gritted through her teeth. "You make sure Ms. Kyle is getting the medical attention and expertise she needs."

Dr. Whale complied and moved on. "Dr. Goodman could I be of assistance to you?" he charmingly asked. It was a delicate situation for another doctor to insert themselves in a colleague's case, but Whale had a way with women. Buttering her up he lied, "I'd love to see how you handle this case. I haven't had much experience with concussive trauma."

Dr. Goodman blushed and he knew he got her.

Seeing as Regina was being nosy, Dr. Whale pulled the curtain all the way over and began to work. While she was frustrated that she couldn't keep tabs on what was going on, she was happy that the best doctor in town was watching over Fiona.

The team worked for a few minutes in hushed tones and Regina wondered what was happening. She thought that they both had split the difference when it came to the attacks, but perhaps Crane got more licks in with her partner than she realized.

She relaxed when she heard the young woman's voice from the other bed. It was certainly slurred and groggy, but she was talking and conscious. "What happened? Where's Chelsea?" she asked.

Dr. Whale eased her fears. "She is fine Ms. Kyle. She's safe and with her parents as we speak."

"What about Regina? Is she alright?" Regina was caught off guard. While she expected the woman to be concerned about the little girl, she was touched that someone worried about her as well.

For some unknown reason she kind of felt happy that Fiona referred to her by her first name. Graham certainly did that and she had heard others mentioned it, but it was usually paired with some insult or complaint about her. Even though they muttered it under their breaths, she usually heard what people said about her.

"She's okay too. Let me show you." With that, Dr Whale pulled the curtain and Regina saw Fiona. She looked better battered and worse for wear, but she was alright. Satisfied, the hazel eyed woman gave a relieved smile and then laid back down. The handsome blonde doctor commented, "Good thing Sheriff Humbert came in time. It could've all turned out differently. " A nurse pulled the curtain again and Regina had her privacy once more.

She relaxed a bit and Dr. Whale came over after a few minutes." Ms. Kyle should be alright Mayor Mills. We're keeping her overnight for observation. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to finish my exam of you."


	8. Taking a Chance

**Storybrooke**

Sheriff Humbert was sitting at the station after just dropping off Crane with the medical staff at the holding facilities, where the crazy man was being treated for the gunshot that grazed him. That despicable man would there wait until his trial came up. Graham hoped that it would be a speedy one and that the monster would be away from all of them for a very long time. Seeing the schoolgirl hiding in that bathroom, still partially bound by tape reminded him that among them monsters were hiding. He was grateful that he got there just in time.

After he subdued the ranger and checked on Chelsea to make sure she was relatively fine, he checked on the other two women. Regina was battered but she was able to get up on her own. Miss Kyle, though, was unconscious and while there appeared to be no huge gashing wound, he played it safe and made sure that she was not moved until the ambulance and the EMTs came.

Now that he was done with transporting Crane, he called the hospital to check on the status of the all three females.

Once it was verified that she was alright, Mayor Mills was allowed to be discharged from the hospital. Regina decided to drive to the town hall and get some work down in her office. She needed to clear her mind. As she was driving, her thoughts kept her busy.

Part of the curse's effect was that everyone did as she asked and while she wasn't going to lie and say that it didn't feel great to have fear and a degree of respect from others, it did get old. Miss Kyle was certainly annoying at times and yet it was also refreshing in odd way. Not the attitude, but for the first time in awhile Regina felt like she was interacting with a real person instead of a puppet.

Puppet was an appropriate word. Even though the townspeople could interact with her and one another, there was no real growth, no real changes with relationships. People who distrusted her still did even though circumstances may have changed.

She had assumed that the mental fog that kept them stuck in these patterns, but maybe it was only for most people. Maybe others like Miss Kyle could be different. After all she didn't recall interacting with her back in the Enchanted Forest, perhaps that affected her. She had no preconceived notion of the Queen so she has none here in this world with Regina.

It made sense and it gave Regina hope, something she hadn't had in too many years. Thinking about Graham's idea of bringing her on as a deputy, Regina turned on the computer and started to run the numbers in spreadsheet. Perhaps she would have something positive in this land after all.


	9. Not Alone

**Storybrooke**

Graham stopped by Regina's office to check on her. "I see that you are already back to work." He gently chided. She had always been a workaholic so when the hospital said she had been released he knew where to find for her.

Barely looking up at him, she continued with gathering documents, sorting them into piles, and entering data into her desktop computer. "These files aren't going to re-organize themselves. I'm making sure that the District Attorney Spencer has everything he needs to lock away Mr. Crane. We certainly don't need him running around town again."

"Agreed."

Regina privately wondered if he was some sort of criminal in the Enchanted Forest. While she knew that everyone's personalities were submerged with the curse, a sliver still showed here in Maine. She suspected Mr. Crane's dark side was an integral part of who he was. Besides the trial that would inevitably happen, she hoped she would never see the man again. "We're better off with him locked away."

"I understand Madam Mayor." Uneasy about whether now was a good time, he paused for a moment before speaking, "I wanted to talk to you about adding a deputy for the department."

"Do you have a candidate in mind?"

"I do. I'm thinking of asking Miss Kyle."

"So why do you need to talk to me?"

" I'd need your approval to add the position to my budget." He gave the mayor his best puppy eyes, hoping to put her in a better mood.

It wasn't needed though.

Mayor Mills opened a drawer besides her and pulled a file and a small black bag. "Here you go Sheriff." She commented as she handed both items.

Graham looked at the bag first, opening the pouch, he noticed that it had a badge. Smiling, he examined the folder. Regina spoke as he scanned the paperwork. "Budget has already been approved. Salary is set at thirty five thousand and she'll have benefits including dental. She does not get overtime, so please keep an eye on her work schedule."

Stunned by her preparation, he just had to comment. "Will do Madam Mayor. Just one question, how did you know?" While he was certainly grateful he didn't have to plead with her, he was extremely curious.

Unfortunately for him, Regina wasn't going to tell him. "Sheriff, just be glad I said yes."

Knowing that pressing the issue would get him nowhere, he thanked her and left to find Miss Kyle.

Once he left, Regina took a second to think about why she did change her mind. As mayor she knew that having a deputy was a smart, practical decision. The sheriff needed a back up. However she knew that wasn't the main reason she hired the girl, something more instinctive was behind that. While most people would say she wanted a friend, Regina wasn't going to call it that. The Mayor just wanted someone she could talk with instead of someone she simply talked to.


	10. Deputy Kyle

**Storybrooke**

Fiona had always wondered what happened to the bandit. She had always hoped that Snow would've taken her up on her childish, but genuine offer. It would've been nice to have someone around like her when she was growing up. Instead the little girl made Snow White a larger than life hero in her mind. Not the romantic princess that this land seemed to associate with her, but someone who rescued her even it placed her own life in danger.

Being as the trade routes from King George's and Queen Regina's kingdoms to her land ended when she was still a child, she didn't hear about the news of Snow White and her Prince Charming's campaign to unite the kingdoms under their rule. She had heard of the Curse, but until it actually happened and brought her and everyone else into the strange land, she hadn't kept up with what was going around that small bubble of her home. It was the disadvantage of being a child - the world is only as big as you are.

And now here she was in a town called Storybrooke being with Snow White again, but this time she was the wiser one. She wished she could help her old friend and the rest of this cursed town, but no matter what she did, she simply couldn't wake them up.

After staying over night at the hospital, she decided to see a familiar face. She got to the school and saw Mary Margaret taking a lunch break outside. She mustered the courage to walk up to the teacher and gave her an update since she knew no one else would. It felt like the right thing to do and wanted to talk to a friend.

"We did find Chelsea. She's recovering at the hospital, her dad is with her know. Dr. Whale says she should be back on her feet by the end of the week and once she feels ready, she can come back to class." Mary Margaret gave a sigh of genuine relief. "I'm so happy to hear that Miss Kyle. I'll make sure to help her catch up with the rest of the class when she returns. Thank you Fiona. I hope next time we meet up it'll be under less stressful circumstances."

"Me too." She replied. Feeling awkward and having nothing more to say, Fiona smiled and walked away to her motorcycle. She was surprised to see that Graham was standing by there, waiting for her. "You're a natural. That report to Ms. Blanchard seemed downright official to me." He uncrossed his arms and gave her a smirk. "How would you like to do that AND get paid? I could use a deputy to handle all the blah, blah boring stuff" he offered.

Thinking this was a joke, she zinged back, "Then what would you be doing? Eating donuts and bear claws on the job 24/7?"

Chuckling at her remarks, Graham took a step closer to Fiona and changed his tone just a bit. "I'm being serious Fiona. Why don't you join me? Admit it, didn't feel good to help find and rescue Chelsea? Aside from the head blows, I mean." He couldn't help himself with the last remark.

Honestly it did feel good to actually come to another's aide. As the lunch bell rang, she saw Mary Margaret wave to her. She smiled and waved back. She thought about her promise to Snow to help her. While she couldn't rescue her friends from the curse, perhaps she can do a lot of good at the station until she figured a way to break it.

Seeing as she was debating his offer, Graham decided to sweeten the deal. "It comes with dental. " Graham hung that benefit as it was the best thing since sliced bread. She shook her head at that pathetic attempt.

It sounded great and all, but…."What about Regina? Is she going to be ok with this?" In her mind, there was no way Mayor Mills was going to get on board with this hiring.

"Funny you should ask." He pulled out a badge from his pocket, just like his but with just a tad smaller. Tossing it to her, she caught the badge with her right hand. "When I mentioned my idea, she gave me this. It looks like she had the same thought. You impressed her by finding Chelsea." Graham leaned in to Fiona, whispering in her ears, "Believe me, that's rare with her."

Pulling back, he grinned again. "What do you say?"

This could be a good thing. She accepted the offer. "I'm in."


	11. Learning the Ropes

_**A/N: that's for the feedback and reviews. For the second half, I'll be focusing on Storybrooke during the curse, but I'll have some Enchanted Forest snippets. Please message me if you have any requests!**_

**Sheriff's Station**

Graham and Fiona were standing by her new desk as he finished going over her job duties. "Processing cases come first, but as we work them, make sure you document everything, both on the computer and on paper. The mayor's office does regular audits and trust me, you don't want Regina calling you about a missing file."

He pointed to the file cabinet off to the side. "All of our current cases go into that top drawer until reviewed by Mayor Mills. Once she's done, we'll keep files locked here in the main office for about a year. After that we place them in the back room in the archives."

"Okay." Fiona was jotting on her notepad to make sure she got everything. She didn't want to screw anything up with her work.

The sheriff paused to get a read on the hazel eyed brunette and see if he missed anything in his tour. "Do you have any questions?"

Without missing a beat, Fiona asked, "When do I get my gun?" She already told Ruby about taking the job and her friend told her to stop by during lunch. She was hoping to have her gun when she went on break.

"Give me a week or so to get everything squared away." He laughed at her enthusiasm. "You also need to completely recuperate from Crane's attack before I put a weapon in your hand. For now, you'll shadow me on interviews and handle phones here at the station."

Fiona sighed, dismayed with the news. She really wanted to get her gun; in her mind it's what made her a real deputy.

Graham grinned. Even though she was a grown adult, she reminded him of kid expecting a new toy and instead getting another pair of tried to make her feel better. "We can go on patrol this morning and get you started. But before we do, let's make it official." He proudly held up a hideous brown shirt with a fake tie attached. "You need to look the part of deputy."

Fiona gagged on the coffee she was drinking. "I'm not wearing that Graham! It's ugly." It was harsher than she intended, but then again, that shirt WAS horrible. She'd get laughed at as soon as she left the building.

He examined the shirt again. It didn't have any stains. "Come on, it's not that bad." He looked back at Fiona, who was now quirked her brow and silently disagreeing with his assessment. "I know it's not the most appealing outfit, but it's more professional than…" Realizing that he was about to hurt her feelings, he stopped himself.

Fiona finished his thought. "More professional than my clothes? What's wrong with them?" She self-consciously looked down at her outfit to see what made it look unacceptable. Her blue V-neck shirt plunged more than she'd like, but nothing was popping out. While her dark washed jeans seemed fine, she winced looking at her silvery flats. They were cute and appropriate for her age, but not for the job.

Graham wisely said nothing as his new partner was doing her own assessment. She started explaining her wardrobe choice. "I don't really have anything nice to wear.." She stopped; it sounded lame even to her. Sighing, Fiona snatched the shirt from his hands and went straight towards the restroom to change. "I'm beginning to regret working here." She muttered to herself.

The sheriff tried to cheer her up. "We'll have fun on patrol. I promise!"

**Dr. Hopper's Office**

Archie was wrapping up his notes from his session with when Pongo nuzzled his shoe. Without having to look at the clock, Dr. Hopper knew that it was time for the dalmatian's walk. "One minute boy and then we'll head outside." As if he understood, the dog went to the door and patiently waited. Keeping his promise, once his work was completed, the kind hearted therapist got his coat on, picked up the lunch he prepared, and put Pongo's leash on.

As the pet and owner made it to the dock, Marco walked up to join them. "Archie, I thought I might find you out. Listen, I hate to cancel our lunch tomorrow, but I forgot that I have to work at the elementary school. Could I reschedule? Perhaps Thursday?"

"Of course. Thanks for letting me know."

"Thank you for understanding." Marco patted his friend's back before heading back to his shop.

Since he had about twenty minutes before he had to return the office, Archie picked a bench to sit and enjoy his meal. Unwrapping his BLT sandwich, he heard a whimper. Thinking it was Pongo, he teased, "No, you can't have my food." He heard the sound again, but it most definitely wasn't his canine companion. It was mix between a groan and grunt, low and painful to hear.

Following the sound, the doctor started heading back towards the dumpsters by the building behind the benches. Pushing away the large metal container, he saw someone on the ground, half-conscious and bloodied.

"Oh dear."

**Storybrooke Mayor's Office**

Regina was wrapping up a meeting with District Attorney Spencer. Over the weekend, she and him made a plea deal with Crane. After interviewing Chelsea's family, she decided that a trial would be too much for the young girl. Instead Crane would be plead guilty by reason of insanity and transported to the asylum. While the sentence may have appeared light, with the curse the contemptible man would be trapped in the asylum forever.

At least there are some benefits to this curse she thought as she signed the papers to authorize the plan. "I'd like to have Crane in his cell this evening. Understood?"

While D.A. Spencer and Mayor Mills butted heads at times, this was something that he agreed on. The former park ranger was a menace to everyone in the town and getting rid of him was a public service to all. "It will be my pleasure to personally escort that scumbag to his new accommodations." He gave a malicious smile. It gave him great pleasure to take away this man's freedom, not just because it was the just thing to do, it also was about exerting power over another man.

Regina tried not to visibly react to the familiarity of his gesture. As Queen in back in The Enchanted Forest, she had many interactions with neighboring kingdoms, including George's. Back then he was a vindictive man and it seemed as that if that trait carried through to this land.

The phone started ringing, giving Regina a valid excuse to dismiss him. "Very well. I'll let you handle this."

She picked up the phone. "Mayor Mills, how can I help you?"

Sidney Glass answered. "I thought you should know that there's been a brutal attack on someone down at the docks."

"Where's the sheriff?"

"He and the deputy just got out of the car."

"Say no more. I'm heading there now." She hung up the phone and went to grab her coat.

**Storybrooke Docks**

Fiona followed Graham as he pushed through the nosy onlookers to get to the EMTs stabilizing the victim. "What happened?"

"This man was attacked. He has multiple injuries. And before you ask, we found no idea on him." The burly man and his partner carefully moved the unconscious man to the gurney. "Look, sheriff, I can't really talk right now. We have to take him to the hospital, he's bleeding internally." With that, they carted him to the ambulance.

"Why don't we start with cordoning the alley and checking to see if we can find a wallet or some way to identify him. Make sure you put your gloves on and bag everything, whether you think it's useful or not. I'll join you in a minute."

Fiona nodded. "Right away." She began by taping off the area.

He turned to the group. "Does anyone know who this man is or what happened?" Most shook their heads and dispersed.

"Sheriff!" Dr. Hopper waved his hand to get his attention. "I was walking Pongo and found this man behind the dumpsters."

"Do you know who he is?"

"No, I wish I did. I've never seen him around here."

"Was anyone else nearby?"

"No, I didn't see anyone. I just heard someone in pain and discovered him. I wish I could be of more assistance."

"You did well Archie. Thanks to you, he's still alive." Sheriff Humbert rubbed his chin trying to think of what kind of a person would leave a man half dead. Unable to answer his own question, he turned his attention back to the therapist. "We're going to try and get some answers here. Why don't you get some rest? Either Fiona or I will check with you later in case we have more questions or you remember anything else."

"Yes, whatever you need."

Walking right up to them, Mayor Mills joined the gentlemen."Sheriff, Dr. Hopper. Do you have any information about the attack?"

Archie saw this as his cue to leave with Pongo. "Please call me if I can be any assistance."

"Mayor Mills, I didn't expect you to get here so quickly." Lowering his voice he asked, "You came up to check on me?" The twinkle in eyes told her he was teasing.

Unfortunately for him, she wasn't in a mood to flirt. She was disturbed by what Sidney told her. "I heard that one of my townspeople was assaulted so I came to see if there was anything I could do."

He quirked his eyebrow. While Regina was certainly hands on with some town matters, she usually allowed him space to do his job. The kidnapping was a notable exception, but he suspected it was because a child was involved. Taking a more serious tone, he informed her. "We're still looking at the crime scene. We're hoping to identify him and contact his family as soon as possible. I'm hoping to see him later at the hospital to interview him and process an evidence he may have."

"Good, keep me apprised of your progress." She unconsciously folded her arms. "I don't know why this town has suddenly gone mad." Never in the last decade had anything serious happened in the town involving one of their own and now in the last couple of weeks a child had been abducted and a man brutally assaulted. Something had changed, but she didn't know what it was.

The sheriff did his best to reassure her. "We'll catch whoever did this, just like we got Crane."

"I know. But thank you Graham."

Now that the more pressing issue had been addressed, she pointed over to the deputy. "How is she doing?"

"She picked up on everything I showed her today." He was genuinely impressed with how quickly she got into the routine.

"Good." She eyed the young woman searching around the crime scene. While she was doing her job, Regina couldn't help but grimace watching her.

Picking up on her expression, Graham asked. "Is something wrong?"

"What do you see Sheriff?"

Not knowing what answer she was looking for, her told her, "Our new deputy."

"No Graham, that's a child impersonating a deputy." Even if the uniform was smaller, Regina knew that it wouldn't fix the real problem. She sighed noisily. "Go tell her to wear something appropriately professional and we'll skip the uniform requirement."

He had in fact already told Fiona that she could find something else as he had the authority to run his department as he saw fit, but he felt no need to remind Regina of that fact. Clearing his throat, Graham dived in to the heart of the problem, "I think she could use some help on what is and isn't appropriate to wear."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I was wondering if you could help her with finding something suitable for the job. She's heading to the store this evening to buy some clothes and I thought, perhaps, you could give her some practical advice."

"You want me to go shopping with Deputy Kyle?" She asked, not quite believing what she was hearing. "I don't think that's a good idea Graham. I'm the mayor, I don't have time to hold hands and help a grown woman pick out clothes."

"I understand if you don't want to do it for the deputy, but it would help out the department."

Regina tilted her head. "Really? Why is that?"

"As I'm sure you're aware, we have a town meeting tomorrow and something tells me that you'd like to formally present the deputy. Wouldn't it be good for everyone if she put her best foot forward?"

Mayor Mills could see right through the manipulation, but that didn't change the fact that he was right. She couldn't go around promoting the town's newest hire with the young woman looking as she did.

"Very well. I'll speak to her now."

"Thank you."

They both walk to the deputy. Smiling at his partner, he asked, "Did you find anything?"

Fiona handed over her discovery. "I believe this is his wallet."

"Great, maybe we can notify his family." With his gloves on, he opened the wallet and found a Maine driver's license for Clifford Grant.

"Deputy, may I speak to you for a moment?"

Fiona looked at her boss to make sure it all right and when she got confirmation she followed the mayor. "Yes, ma'am."

Once they were by her Mercedes and out of earshot those around she briefed her, "We have a town meeting tomorrow and you'll be required to attend."

"Okay."

"I also wanted you to know that you no longer have to wear this uniform, provided that your clothing reflects the professionalism expected of you. Do you understand?"

Feeling a bit more comfortable asking a woman about clothes than Graham, Fiona inquired, "What kind of clothing would work?"

"Please tell me you're joking."

Fiona shook her head. "I've either worked on my family's vineyard or from a home office where my clothes didn't really matter." Up until now, she was actually proud of that fact, but seeing Mayor Mills stern face, she felt like a child.

After what seemed like an eternity of being stared down, Regina broke the silence. "Fine, meet me at Modern Fashions tonight at 5:30. Don't be late."

Shocked that the Mayor offered her help, Fiona quietly ambled back to finish up with Graham.


End file.
